African American Heritage Festival Begins Sunday - 04/22/04

COLUMBUS – The 26th African American Heritage Festival (AAHF) at The Ohio State University will kick off with a symbolic march from north to south campus at 1 p.m. Sunday (4/25) at the intersection of College Road and Woodruff Avenue.

The event is free and open to the public, although donations of non-perishable food and toiletry items are suggested to support the AAHF community service drive. In the event of rain, the march will be cancelled. The remainder of the program will take place in the west ballroom and patio of the Ohio Union, 1739 N. High St.

Angela Woody, student chair of the kickoff celebration committee, said the day has been planned with activities that will be fun, entertaining and interactive.

“All events for the week of the Heritage Festival will incorporate our theme in some way,” Woody said. “‘Uhambo: The Journey -- Embracing Our Past, Present and Future,’ is our theme and we felt that it would be perfect to personify the triumphs and tribulations of our past, present and future into an actual journey.”

African drummers and the Columbus East High School Marching Band will lead student organizations and the university community to the Browning Amphitheater on the South Oval for a short program featuring guest speakers and entertainment. The Tri-Black Student Associations’ annual cookout will begin at 3 p.m.
Woody added that Undergraduate Student Government will sponsor a voter registration drive throughout the day.

“It is our goal to create a forum that engages the entire campus in the kickoff and also gets everyone excited about the events that will continue throughout the week,” Woody said. “We want Sunday to be a true day of celebration.”

The heritage festival will be held through Saturday (5/1). The remainder of the schedule follows.

Monday, April 26
• Student Leadership Forum
4 to 5 p.m., Hale Black Cultural Center, 153 W. 12th Ave.
Judge Joe Brown, Fox Television courtroom personality, will conduct a leadership forum on the importance of positive role models, professional networking and competitive business strategies.

• Town Hall Forum with Judge Joe Brown - “Hip-Hop on Trial: A Look at the Past, Present & Future: Has Hip-Hop Produced Positive Role Models?”
7 to 9 p.m., Ohio Union, 1739 N. High St.
Judge Brown will preside over a mock trial that examines the impact of hip-hop music and culture. “DJ Wise,” a local radio personality, will spin hip-hop classics as an introduction to this riveting, educational discussion. A verdict will be rendered.

Tuesday, April 27
• Columbus/Ohio State Reads Program
9 to 11 a.m., East Linden Elementary, 2500 Perdue Road
9 to 11 a.m., Hubbard Avenue Elementary, 104 W. Hubbard St.
Reading represents the foundation for learning. To encourage Columbus school-age children, Ohio State student volunteers will visit local elementary schools to read and interpret cultural stories.

• Poetry Slam
7 to 9:30 p.m., Independence Hall, 1923 Neil Ave.
Hosted by guest poet Leroy Thornton, Ohio State students will exhibit their own creativity through a unique blend of Spoken Word Poetry and jazz. Prizes will be awarded.

Wednesday, April 28
• Soul Time at OSU
7 to 10 p.m., Independence Hall, 1923 Neil Ave.
Hosted by Black Entertainment Television (BET) comic “Talent,” the third-annual event will showcase student talent in the areas of song, dance and instrumental performance in a competitive two-round format. Prizes will be awarded. “BPhlat” from BET’s Comic View and Comedy Central also will perform.

Thursday, April 29
• Columbus/Ohio State Reads Program
9 to 11 a.m., Hubbard Elementary School, 104 W. Hubbard St.

• Beauty and Barbershop Day*
11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Hale Black Cultural Center, 153 W. 12th Ave.
Students will have the perfect opportunity to have their hair styled and nails polished before an evening at Mahogany Moments. The Association of Black Leaders for Entrepreneurship will bring minority-owned barbers, hair stylists and nail technicians to campus to provide personal care services at discounted rates. *Hair must be shampooed before services are rendered.

Thursday, April 29
• Mahogany Moments
8 p.m. to Midnight, the Blackwell, 2110 Tuttle Park Place.
This semiformal, African dress attire dinner-dance is exclusive to Ohio State University staff, students and faculty and their guests. Tickets with a BuckID are $10 per person and $15 per pair, and are available at the Multicultural Center in the Ohio Union, 1739 N. High St.

Friday, April 30
• Columbus/OSU Reads Program
9:30 a.m. to Noon, Hale Black Cultural Center, 153 W. 12th Ave.
Student volunteers will read cultural stories and engage in learning activities with kindergarten and first-grade students from university-area public schools.

• 17th Annual Pan-Hellenic Black Greek Step Show
7 to 10:30 p.m., Mershon Auditorium, 1871 N. High St.
A sellout last year, Ohio State African American fraternities and sororities will exhibit their creativity and stepping prowess through one of the oldest traditions of African dance. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster and are $12 in advance and $15 the day of the show. Doors will open at 6 p.m.

Saturday, May 1
• Saturday at the Park
11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Beekman Park, 1999 W. Lane Ave.
The day will be full of great events such as the Off-Campus Black Student Association cookout and a basketball tournament sponsored by Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. A market place featuring food, music and art, and a health fair with free screenings are a part of the day’s activities.

• The Official Heritage Festival Finale & After Party - “The Springfest Jam”
8 p.m., Newport Music Hall, 1722 N. High St.
The event finale of the 2004 AAHF will feature Bad Boy recording artist “Loon” and the Sean Jean Midwest Model Search. Ticket sales for Ohio State students are $10 with a valid BuckID and can be purchased at the Multicultural Center in the Ohio Union, 1739 N. High St. Tickets will be available to the general public after April 16.

Sunday, April 12 to Saturday, May 1
• Community Service Project: Non-perishable food and toiletry items will be collected campus-wide and at every AAHF event. Items collected will go to Columbus Colony Elderly Care, Faith Mission and Safe Haven for needy children.