A Howard University professor continues his tradition of bringing HBCU students to his home country of South Africa for an immersive tour.
Every year during the summer semester, Dr. Sipho Sithole takes students to South Africa for a six-week excursion, where they further engage in the study of Zulu culture, heritage, and language. The lecturer teaches Zulu and Zulu culture at the Washington, D.C.-based HBCU.
Sithole spoke with Newzroom Afrika’s Masechaba Mposwa to discuss the experiences students gain through this summer session. Alongside two Howard students, they highlighted the cultural immersion experience offered during the six-week tour.
For Sithole, the initiative stemmed from his welcoming experience teaching at Howard University, which he claims boasts the largest department of world languages and cultures.
“Howard University has got the biggest enrollment of isiZulu students outside of South Africa,” explained Sithole. “We teach about 150 students from Zulu 1 to Zulu 4. So this program has always been around…As you know, I’ve always been a cultural practitioner and traditionalist rooted in our culture, so I guess Howard University saw that I was the best person to come and teach. I was ready, and I’m there, and I couldn’t agree more.”
Through the program, students travel to battlefields and visit the graves of the Zulu Kings, while also developing a deeper understanding of traditional huts and prayers. They also meet with fellow students within the university and other grade levels, connecting with their generation despite hailing from different continents.
Students come ready to embrace the unique culture of the Zulu people in South Africa. Many have continued to matriculate through the courses offered at Howard, recognizing the cultural shifts not as present back home.
“I would have to say community,” shared student Ryen Reed, about how Zulu culture appeals to her most. “In the United States, we’re really worried about our own personal well-being and our own doings and our own opportunities, that we don’t take a lot into filling into the opportunities that others have around us in our community. Being here, I’ve learned that regardless if I know you or not, you’re my family and that I have to look out for you.”
With a jam-packed schedule of museum trips and classes, students also gain a spiritual understanding of the Zulu tradition. Praying and paying homage to one’s ancestors remains integral to this community, leaving some scholars emotional about finally being on the lands where their great-great-grandparents once lived.
The program aims to bridge the gap for Black American scholars and those interested in the Zulu culture, offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to connect with this lineage of people.
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