Extra Credit-EDF 2085 Asili Night

Professor McNair invited our class to attend what he calls Asili Night. When the invitation was first given, I thought it was going to be some taboo ritual ceremony where I would have to sacrifice my sight (Charles Mingus). I decided to bring along my sister, cousin, and daughter Amarria. Upon our arrival we saw some dressed in African attire, musicians setting up, and a young boy in a funny looking outfit. Strange thoughts began flooding and ramping through my head until the program started. As the night was beginning to start, a man was introduce to do an opening prayer and usually in my culture or Christian life, the prayer is spoken in English with a message to God asking for peace, prosperity and strength and even though this man was praying in a different language it was the same message... may God send down peace, prosperity and blessings among the people that were there that night. As the audience began to fill up with people, I did notice one of my classmates Frank who was video taping the program. After the prayer was said, a band that consisted of men from all different races and colors began to play and the crowd got excited. I seen people moving their hips and tapping their feet to the music that was playing. The band in my words was LIVE!!! The drums were beating, the saxophone was groovy, and the singer was rejoicing. Then they got down to business. A female poet with a very intricate and articulate Jamaican accent was introduced by Professor McNair, and if I could recall she is an English Professor at Florida International University and achieved many things. The poem that stuck out to me was the one she dedicated to her brother that was obviously incarcerated. She spoke of his time in prison and how she longs to see him free, how she remembers the untimely time they spent together by the water in their beautiful island, and how she misses him every waking day. When one of the other speakers was introduced, he was a man that I know o so very well...Professor Preston, one of Miami Dade's finest English instructors and in my opinion the best. If I may say, he is in the process of writing a book and he read a little insert of the book at Asili Night. It was about a young virgin boy who apparently lost his virginity to an older woman and had a grandmother that was a little ill. The grandmother had what I would call an aid to help her get around from place to place. One night they decided to go to a revival to hear a prophet who could HEARD the voice of the Lord and was gifted through God for healing and at the end of the service he open-booked the lives of the people. I did not go into or discuss everything that went on that night, but my daughter enjoyed it because every time the band played she would move and laugh. A couple of times she even screamed out loud...I guess to let the others know she was having a good ole time. There was a band there with just about all Hispanic males who performed EXCELLENT!!! It was a great night and I enjoyed it!