AFRO Hamwe kicked off the Black History Month with their own twist on the household classic Family Feud. Students gathered in KOSC’s MacDonald Auditorium to celebrate Black culture, history, and community. Hosted by Makesha Mercedat, the night featured a head-to-head matchup of two teams: The Material Girls (Aba Asante, Ali Williams, Jade Etienne, and Sary Legerme) vs. The Rider Boyz (Ty Cedon, Will Lot, Merr Asegeid, and Jason Asonye).
The two teams fought over the top 90’s Black TV shows, common things in a Black church, and the exciting but contentious question of common Black compliments. The competition got heated as both teams struggled to guess the top producer tags by Black artists. Rider Boyz team member Ty Cedon openly expressed his shock as the number one pick incorrectly quoted his own tag.
The lightning round featured several pieces of trivia on Black history and culture. Some facts welcomed with recognition, such as Material Girl Jade Etienne being the only Black music major at Gordon College this year. Though she made a point of stating that this fact, while fun, is not necessarily good. Other facts presented a learning experience for all. For example, that Mae Jemison was the first African American woman in space. (The answer was not, in fact, not Amelia Earhart – sorry Ty.)
The round ended in an exact tie of 125 points, leading to a sudden death round. The Rider Boyz pulled off a buzzer beater, to the disappointment of the Material Girls.
AFRO Hamwe’s Director of Communications and Family Feud host for the evening, Makesha Mercedat celebrated the event’s success. She said “[I] had fun learning along the way. I did a lot of studying … it was fun!” She shared her joy during the planning process in discovering that a favorite gospel artist, Kirk Franklin, had produced Kanye West’s Life of Pablo album.
Rider Boyz team member and AFRO Hamwe marketing intern Will Lot added how much he enjoyed “just being able to play with my friends, and just seeing everybody out in the audience, showing up to support us. I think that really made the Family Feud just a lot more fun.”
Family Feud was only the beginning of AFRO Hamwe’s plans for Black History Month. They held several more events throughout the month, and there is still more to come including a BHM Church Service and the beloved AFRO Hamwe Fashion Show.
Mercedat was especially excited about Lift Every Voice and Sing which took place February 16th. This event, run by Jade Etienne adn Grace Kpor, featured a historical look at the evolution of Black music. Lot shared his excitement for this year’s AFRO Party, which has been rescheduled for March in lieu of inclement weather.
For more information on all AFRO Hamwe Black History Month events, head to their Instagram, @gc_afrohamwe.
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