African Queen

Most people who know me would describe me as not being shy or easily embarrassed. However, last night, I felt like I stood out noticeably. Our driver waited at our hotel while we quickly showered off the dirt and car exhaust from the day's activities. When we reappeared, we looked as if we were ready for the prom! The dresses featured beautiful patterns, shapes, and details that were truly stunning. Many hotel staff members, whom we've become friendly with, admired our outfits and took pictures. We then got into Mr. Sow's car and headed to the event.

We arrived at the school, and what happened next was beyond anything I could have anticipated. Staff and the principal opened our car doors, and as my shoe touched the dusty ground, I noticed over a thousand people watching us from a large circle, with a singer and musicians in the middle.

To our surprise, the only ones dressed up for the event were our host, Fatoumata, and the five of us Fulbright girls. Everyone else was in street clothes, including Fatoumata's husband, Dominique. Despite my experience in performances and stage work, I had never felt so exposed. I just started to laugh and decided to roll with it.

While we waited, we were taken to the faculty lounge. Soon, the event announcer's voice grew very loud, and we were guided out of the staff lounge through a crowd of people and led to the center of the circle. Chairs were set up for us there, and we sat down. A former student of the school was performing songs that the entire audience joined in singing. There were drummers, and around ten others were playing wooden blocks with their hands.

After a few songs of which I did recognize "If you're happy and you know it," we were told to go into the center of the circle to dance. Luckily, Mr. Sow and Fatoumata had talked to some girls in their classes and they came and took our hands and lead us out into the middle to dance with them. It was both embarrassing and exhilarating all at once. ( Internet isn't strong enough to load a video right now). We then introduced ourselves on the microphone in Wolof. I was taken back by the genuine excitement and support of the students and faculty. I could only hope my own community would be this welcoming to others.

We had fun dancing and listening to a few more songs before being informed that it would end early for security reasons. The school is currently adding more classrooms, and there is a lot of construction equipment around, so they didn't want students in the area after dark.

While we were leaving the circle, a boy from Fatoumata's class, whom I had talked to before, came up to me. He smiled and called me "African Queen," complimenting my dress. I was unsure how being dressed in traditional attire would be received. However, the happiness and enthusiasm of everyone we encountered showed their pride in their culture and their joy in sharing it with us.