African & African Diasporic Languages Festival

Organized by the Department of African and African-American Studies (AAAS) and the Kansas African Studies Center (KASC), The KU African Language Festival's inaugural event took place in Spring of 2016. The Festival is also supported by the KU School of Languages, Literautres and Cultures, International Programs and many other units such as the Center for Global & Inernational Studies, Office of Multicultural Affairs, International Programs, and the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies. This event provides an opportunity to showcase language skills of students studying African languages at KU and engage with the KU and Lawrence/Kansas City communities. Languages represented include Arabic, Amharic, Kiswahili, Haitian-Creole, Somali and Wolof. Presentations range from sketches, poetry recitations and songs, to cultural presentation, video productions and more. Each year the KU African Language Festival has drawn large and diverse audiences that include KU students, staff and faculty, as well as community members and educators.