Afrikan Student Union at UCLA

WHY DOES THE AFRIKAN STUDENT UNION LOGO DEPICT THE CONTINENT AS UPSIDE-DOWN?

Many visitors to this site ask that question, and we've found the best answer to be found in this clip of the now-syndicated TV show "The West Wing". After watching the clip, understand that ASU is challenging our members to ask themselves if they have top or bottom mentalities.

WHY DOES THE AFRIKAN STUDENT UNION SPELL "AFRICA" WITH A "K?"

-excerpts from the analysis of Dr. Kwame Nantambu of Kent State University

There is an implicit political statement of kinship and solidarity with the continent in question in the spelling 'Afrika' when it is used by an African-American group.

In the spelling Afrika, a 'k' is used rather than a 'c' because for many activists the 'k' represents an acknowledgment that 'Africa' is not the true name of that vast continent. When one speaks of Afrika, they're bringing an Afrikan-centered view to the meaning. Therefore, the Afrika spelled with a 'k' represents a redefined and potentially different Afrika, and also it symbolizes a coming back together of Afrikan people worldwide. Let itbe understood that when one speaks of Afrika and when most Europeans think of 'Africa,' they are coming from two different worldviews. One view supports the Afrikan ethos, while the other view supports the European ethos.

Europeans particularly the Portuguese and British, polutted Afrikan languages by substituting 'C' whenever they saw 'K' or heard the 'K' sound...as in Kongo and Congo, Akkra and Accra, Konakri and Conakry. No European language outside of Dutch and German has the hard 'C' sound.

The 'K' symbolizes a kind of Lingua Afrikana, together constituting one political language, although coming from more than one Afrikan language.