Contact: Steve Howard, director of African Studies, (740) 593-4469
ATHENS, Ohio (February 14, 2001) -- The African Student Union of Ohio University will observe the Annual African Heroes Day by commemorating former Sudanese leader Al-Uztaz Mahmoud Muhammad Taha at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16, in Morton Hall on the Athens campus. The evening includes Sufi music, poetry, a video and a keynote address by Taha's daughter.
Taha was a Sudanese intellectual who formed the Sudanese Republican Party in 1945. He developed a political ideology that established an independent Sudan before he was executed by the Sudanese government in 1985 for his political and religious views.
"This event will help the Athens community acquire a vivid image of Africa's great personalities, while enabling them to associate leaders with their geographical and societal location," said "Jaja Vincent Yogo, president of the African Student Union. "The talk will help them understand the heroes background and achievements, and at the same time discuss what it takes to be a hero or heroine."
The African Day celebrations will be held at 201 Morton Hall, Ohio University. Events include:
- 5:30-7:00 p.m. - Dinner
- 7:00-7:20 p.m. - Sufi Religious Song
- 7:20-7:45 p.m. - "Glimpses", a play by the A.S.U. Cultural Group
- 7:45-8:00 p.m. - Poetry Reading by Traci Currie
- 8:00-8:15 p.m. - Testimony by Al-Uztaz Mahmoud (video)
- 8:15-8:30 p.m. - Introduction of Keynote Speaker by Stephen Howard, director of the African Studies Program.
- 8:30-10:00 p.m. - Keynote Address by Asma Mahmoud, the daughter of Uztaz Taha.
The African Heroes Day is funded by the International Student Union and the Student Activities Commission of Ohio University.
To learn more about Taha's efforts, log on to: www.alfikra.org/biography/english.htm
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