North Carolina A&T State University is hosting the second annual Congo Week events in support of raising awareness and speaking out against the massacres and rapes of the Congolese people.
Starting on October 18, and going until October 24, Congo Week is designed to open students’ minds about the underpublicized crisis in the Congo. Lumo, a documentary about the hardships of recovery for a young woman in the Congo who was one of the lucky rape survivors, will be shown on Wednesday, October 21. The showing will be in the New Classroom Building auditorium at 7:30 p.m.
There will also be a Breaking the Silence Poetry Night on Thursday, October 22. This night will feature some of A&T’s own poetic rebels, Josephus Thompson III and Kahlil Almustafa. This event will be held in Stallings Ballroom, at 7:00 p.m.
Named by the United Nations as the deadliest conflict in the world since World War II, the War on the Congo has claimed almost 6 million lives since its start back in 1996. Women and children are being raped, mutilated, and killed on a daily basis. The mineral coltan, which is found in everything from cell phones to refrigerators, is the cause of exploitation of the Congolese people. This war is desperately calling out for media coverage, awareness, and worldwide support.
“The same forces exploiting people in the Congo are the same forces exploiting people here. In Europe where anywhere near 6 million people were killed, you saw planes flying to stop the Holocaust and Adolf Hitler. Six million black folks dying in Africa can’t even make it on CNN”, said Kambale Musavuli.
What most people don’t know is that Congo Week actually started at A&T last year.
“What you should note is that due to the advocacy of students at A&T, people worldwide today are speaking out about the Congo. We have 150 campuses worldwide in 32 countries participating in Congo Week. Congo Week started at A&T, and because of that I know things can happen. But still, there is more work that can be done”, said Musavuli, a senior
Musavuli also has a personal connection to the War in the Congo.
“Now me being a Congolese, knowing that my brothers and sisters are over there hurts, and actually I found out a month ago that one of my uncles was killed. Those are people I know; those are family member, teachers, and brothers. So for me its personal that’s why I make it my mission to tell every A&T student I meet about my country and share with them how they can help”, he said.
Most A&T students don’t believe that there is enough awareness on campus, or worldwide.
“No, I don’t feel there’s enough awareness. I feel there needs to be more. I think we focus too much on Americans. Instead of being just national citizens we need to be global citizens. I think we can be more aware as Americans and more aware as Aggies”, said Syene Jasmin, a senior Journalism and Mass Communications major.
Though it may seem there is no personal connection to the War in the Congo for most people, there are others who feel it is a part of who we are as a people.
“The struggle in the Congo is the same struggle here in the US. Truth be told, there is no example in the world where the value of lives of black people have been devalued like they have in the Congo. If you were outraged about the nooses hanging in New Orleans, then you should be outraged about the Congo. So speaking up about the conflict in the Congo is also speaking up about the value of your own life”, said Musavuli.
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