Molloy parent Damani Nyahuma returned to Molloy on February 12th to exhibit his incredible collection of traditional African artifacts and artworks for our Stanners to view and appreciate! Mr. Nyahuma has gathered statues and sculptures from West Africa, including pieces from native tribes spanning across Ghana and Egypt. He also has more modern works of African-American art, some of which came from the Birmingham Museum in Alabama.
When asked what inspired Mr. Nyahuma to collect such artifacts, he responded, “When you become a collector it’s never on purpose. You see something, you feel smitten, you like it, you get it. And the next thing you know, you’ve started to collect things. It’s like an evolution.” However, Mr. Nyahuma says the main inspiration behind his collection is wanting to understand and embrace culture. Molloy’s D&I consultant Dr. Alice Prince commented on the exhibit, stating, “I think regardless of it being Black History Month, I believe it is so important for us to embrace culture. This exhibit is amazing and we are also going to be procuring more cultural exhibits in the future.” She believes that cultural exhibits like Damani’s are impactful for students.
Classes were flowing in and out of the exhibit throughout the day. Mr. Nyahuma shared with students the significance of culture and tradition, as well as the importance of understanding personal history and the roots of where we all come from. Thank you so much, Mr. Nyahuma, for sharing your collection with our students!