Student Cultural Groups: Princeton African Students Association

With about 209 active Facebook members and over 300 members on their listserv, Princeton’s African Students Association (PASA) offers an engaging community for anyone interested in Africa and the African diaspora. Seven officers, along with an additional board focused on diversity, lead PASA with the goal of making African students feel welcome.

According to Olamide Akin-Olugbade ’16, the president of PASA, the organization helps African students maintain a connection to their roots while at Princeton. The diversity board accomplishes this by representing broad geographical regions of Africa, such as West Africa and Central Africa, and incorporating different cultural aspects of those regions, such as food and music, into PASA’s events.

“[PASA] has definitely helped me stay close to where I am from. I have been led to think about Africa while being removed from it in an American environment,” Akin-Olugbade said.

Recent events of PASA include "Sherehe," a celebration of African food and performance culture, as well as bi-weekly discussion dinners that include topics such as African identity, often featuring professors in the African Studies department. Some other events throughout the year include a "meet-the-new-board" social and Sala Kale, which is the senior send-off that also serves as the end-of-year gala.

One of PASA’s most high profile events is the upcoming "Sankofa: The African Fashion Show," which will be held this Friday, Feb. 20 in the Mathey common room at 7 p.m.

PASA’s future plans, according to Akin-Olugbade, involve not only celebrating African culture, but also changing perceptions about Africa.

“The plans from the club involve expanding beyond a celebration of African culture and entertainment to shed light on the ways the African continent has grown as a land of opportunity for businesses and entrepreneurs," Akin-Olugbade said. "We would like to raise awareness about the ways the African continent is rising, while changing the perceived narrative of an ever-broken continent."

With the goal of changing perceptions about Africa and fostering a community that welcomes African students, PASA encourages diversity and inclusion, while forming strong bonds between its members.