These two Tarneit Senior College students are keen to embrace their cultural heritage – not apologise for it.
Fed up with racism directed at African young people, year 12 students Jumess Tshishimbi and Pasi Pesa started the AfroFever program last term at their school to celebrate African culture, including traditional dance performances in African costumes during lunch breaks.
Their plans for the future include an African youth festival where young people can sing, dance and showcase the African talent.
“We created this program because we wanted to empower African youth and also have people see the inside of our culture,” Jumess said.
Referring to the crimes involving African young people that dominated headlines earlier this year, she said: “We want to remind one another of our African morals, because we’re not raised like this.”
Pasi added: “Other people choose to do the wrong thing … it overshadows what other people are doing, and that’s what we’re trying to change.
“I’ll walk into a Woolies or Coles, and I will have someone following me, thinking that I’m going to do something wrong. We want to stand against those stereotypes.”
The two young women, who both plan on becoming police officers, said they’ve felt that the wrong actions of a small minority had overshadowed the talents and strenghs of many striving to do their very best.
“We want to broadcast the beauty and diversity in the African community, as it is not shown enough in general society,” Pasi said.
