by S. Su’eddie Vershima Agema
In showing the art side of its curriculum while celebrating Africa and Black History Month, the London School of Economics hosted its second Ubuntu Café (a.k.a Ubuntu 2.0) at the GenDen on 12th October 2023 from 5:30 to 9:00pm. Hosted by the Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa (FLIA) and Programme for African Leadership (PfAL), the event was themed ‘Roots, Bridges, and Echoes: Reclaiming our Stories.’
Established in 2022, the Ubuntu Café aims to foster connections amongst African students at LSE and those with an affinity for African culture. Beyond a mere gathering, the café provides an avenue for intellectual stimulation, creativity, and lively discussions through several ways including competitions, talks, debates, poetry, music, and art.
Ubuntu 2.0 featured a book launch/conversation and performances from artists including Will McInerney, Victory Osarumwense, Chris Agape, Joshua Omeke, Su’eddie Vershima Agema, and Elizabeth Mwambulukutu, anchored by the dynamic creative, Orayyy. Kicking off at 5:30 pm at the LSE GenDen, the event was orchestrated by the FLIA team, comprising of Tosin Adebisi, Ivonne Olusoga, and Daniella Gutiérrez-Torres, ensuring attendees had a memorable experience.
Will McInerney took the lead by introducing and discussing Victory Osarumwense’s book, Conversations from Last Night. But before delving into the book discussion, McInerney performed his poem, ‘Trained by Fear,’ to an applauding audience, setting the tone for what was to be an unforgettable evening. He introduced the book, speaking in flowing terms of its beauty which he called on the audience to ensure they partake of by purchasing and reading the book later. Victory shared her writing journey, emphasizing the personal nature of her poems and the inspirations drawn from her experiences. Notably, her poem “London Tears” which paints a vivid picture of the challenges she faced in her academic journey. She noted that her book was a long love project that began in 2019 which she had procrastinated on delivering as she had always wanted to publish, and noticed it slip into succeeding New Year resolutions till she mustered the courage to get the book out eventually. She continued that the pieces within were mostly inspired by real-life mostly personal events since poetry was an easy way of processing for her. “They often start as personal letters to myself, then as meditation,” she emphasised. She read the poem, ‘London Tears’, which was inspired by her frustration after a STATA class where it seemed like everyone else knew what they were doing, except her. She performed the poem, ‘These Words’ and read, ‘Sorry, not Sorry’. Victory explained that the two poems were a reaction to negative feedback from several people about her being an expressive person. In response to some questions from Will on the evocation of spirituality in her work and how the work is relatable, Victory explained that she is inspired by the Psalms which might explain some of that connection. She also mentioned that her diction is simple and written from the heart, which would explain why people would easily understand it.
A delightful surprise followed when Chris Agape, also a PfAL alum, took the stage. Contrary to expectations of a health talk, Chris serenaded the audience with the hit song, ‘Never Enough’ from the acclaimed movie, The Greatest Showman, leaving them astounded and wanting more. Next, the poetic prowess of Joshua Omeke, adorned in exquisite African attire, radiated through as he recited two poems, ‘Flies of Wilderness’ and ‘A Coloured Dream’ from his collection, Joe’s Collectanea. He proceeded to advocate for everyone present to embrace their Africanity in full from apparel to expression and more.
Highlighting issues of systemic injustices against black individuals, S. Su’eddie Vershima Agema’s poignant performance evoked deep emotions. He performed the poem, ‘A Boy Calls out for the Tribe in the Spirit of Marley’ (the performative version of ‘If You Were Nailed by a Bullet in Golgotha’ set to excerpts ‘from Bob Marley and Maya Angelou). His poem, which drew allusions to various happenings where black people have been murdered, especially by the system and people who should have protected them, called for active participation by everyone to ensure that those voices would not have gone down in vain.
Next, Elizabeth Mwambulukutu the storyteller introduced the audience to Africa’s folkloric beauty. Full of smiles, exuding grace and great charm, she added a touch of African folkloric charm, captivating listeners with traditional tales and encouraging reflections on folklore.
As the event drew to an end, the evening took a runway twist as a Best Dressed Prize parade was announced with four of the MC’s best dressers in the room taking the centre stage. As they took a bow with a small gift, Daniella Gutiérrez-Torres came up to the stage to give her vote of thanks. However, her speech was interrupted by the outgoing PfAL set from 2022/2023 who came on stage as part of an unscheduled item on the agenda to pass their thanks to Daniella who had been an integral part of their academic life at LSE. They each shared deeply felt stories of Daniella’s impact on them all, emphasising that her presence will be missed at LSE, especially in the light of her departure to a new professional endeavour in the new future. In the end, there were only a few dry eyes on stage as a visibly moved Daniella shared warm embraces with everyone around.
On that note, the volume for the music was notched up as everyone proceeded to the banquet of jollof rice, chicken, assorted snacks, and various drinks to ease the night. In the banter, dancing, and other social activities, the celebrations continued with new friends walking together to various destinations.
As it turned out, Ubuntu 2.0 was not just an event but a beautiful celebration of Black and African heritage, proving that LSE is as much about art and culture as it is about economics. As part of their ongoing Black History Month celebrations, the organisers have also launched a literary competition centered on the Black diasporan experience. Details can be found here.
Several of the attendees noted that the event lived up to their expectations and looked forward to more of such events in the future.
Indeed, in the light of all done, the spirit of Ubuntu – of shared humanity – was truly expressed and spread, calling on everyone to share their light.
S. Su’eddie Vershima Agema is a multiple award winning author, editor, development consultant and culture enthusiast. He is the Managing Editor of Konya Shamsrumi was a finalist for the $100,000 Nigeria Prize for Literature, winner Association of Nigerian Authors’ Poetry Prize (2014 and 2022) and premier Black History Month Curator at the University of Sussex. He is @sueddieagema across various social media channels and can be reached via sueddie.ksr@gmail.com.
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