‘In our diversity, we are united’- The Siouxland African Festival celebrates diversity for the 10th year

SIOUX CITY (KTIV) – The Siouxland African Association extended a warm welcome to community members for the 10th Annual Siouxland African Festival, Saturday afternoon, at the Seaboard Triumph Foods Expo Center.

Organizers said the event is a celebration of the 54 unique countries that make up the continent of Africa, and the culture African immigrants bring to the area.

Each year, the festival highlights specific countries in Africa, and this year The Republic of Congo and the Republic of Ghana were featured.

Albert Okine, the Siouxland African Association Board Secretary, said the festival is a great way for Siouxlanders to be able to experience the beauty and the richness of Africa, through its people, its food and its fashions, with no passport required.

“People who cannot travel,” said Okine, “people cannot afford to go out, you know, could be a part of something like this. Still be able to enjoy Africa, you know, without necessarily having to pay an airfare to travel somewhere else to enjoy that and for us, doing something like this really fosters a sense of unity.”

Dr. Annie Kinwa-Muzinga, a professor at Morningside University and Vice-President of the Siouxland African Association, said unity is at the heart of this event.

“In our diversity,’ said Kinwa-Muzinga, ”we are united, and that’s what we want to show here, that we are united.”

Dr. Kinwa-Muzinga said the Siouxland African Association works to help expose Siouxlanders to African culture, creating a more accepting environment for immigrants.

“We want people in Sioux City to know who they are,” said Kinwa-Muzinga. “ …we want them also to learn about the culture, to learn about them, to learn how they behave… who they are! I think that is important.

The event was free and open to the public and accepted freewill donations.

Participants could sample food from various African countries.

There were several performances including Duniya Drum and Dance.

The featured countries for next year’s festival are Mali, Libya and Rwanda.

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