Karry Kim ‘25
Umoja, meaning ‘unity’ in Swahili, is an annual celebration of unity and inclusion of all St. Mark’s students. Each year students from different affinity groups perform skits, sing songs dance and read poetry that evokes their cultural heritage. Unlike the previous years, this year’s Umoja was held in virtually various locations due to the pandemic. While the 4th formers and the 6th formers watched the performance in the PFAC in person, the rest of the forms watched a livestream of the event in locations such as the Lower Center, CPR, and the Lion’s Den.
The event started off with the reading of an Arabic poem, “On This Land” by Mahmound Darwish (Aidan Khamis ‘22). This poem reads (translated version):
We have on this land that which makes life worth living
We have on this land all of that which makes life worth living
April’s hesitation
The aroma of bread at dawn
A woman’s beseeching of men
The writings of Aeschylus
Love’s beginning
Moss on a stone
Mothers standing on a flute’s thread
And the invader’s fear of memories
We have on this land that which makes life worth living
September’s end
A woman leaving ‘forty’ behind
with all of her apricots
The hour of sunlight in prison
A cloud reflecting a swarm of creatures
A people’s applause for those who face their own erasure with a smile
And the tyrant’s fear of songs.
We have on this land all of that which makes life worth living
On this land
The lady of our land
The mother of all beginnings
And the mother of all ends
She was called Palestine
Her name later became Palestine
My lady….
Because you are my lady
I have all of that which makes life worth living. (Darwish, M. (1976). On this land: Poem.)
Although less well-known in the United States, Mahmound Darwish is a significant figure in Palestinian culture, widely accepted as the Palestinian national poet. Born in Al-Birwa in 1941, 7 years before the once Palestinian village became occupied and destroyed by the Isreali army, Darwish had to fleed to Lebanon, leaving his hometown at a young age. As he started his poetry, he was labeled a “resistance poet” because of his poems about the suffering of Palestinian refugees that he had recited in poem festivals. Like Darwish’s other poems, “On This Land” also talks about the beauty of the Palestinian land and its connection to its people.
This poem also holds special meaning to Aidan and his family,
“From “the aroma of bread at dawn to…a cloud reflecting a swarm of creatures” Palestine gives us life. Regardless of our situation in exile or occupation, Palestine is still our land that will forever give us life. Because Palestine gives us life, it holds a special place in our mind, in our identities. Regardless of me not stepping foot in Palestine, it is still my home. It represents who I am, and also what I have lost. To the Palestinian people, the beauty of Palestine, our home is all that makes life worth living” (Aidan Khamis ‘22).
Following the recitation of “On This Land”, the ASA performed an upbeat Kpop dance to the song “Savage” by Aespa, bringing the event a ton of energy and spirit. ASA had another performance as well with students sharing a Chinese heritage sing a Chinese pop song, “Dao Xiang (Rice Field)” by Jay Chou. The song shares a heartwarming message that when people face failure or discontent they can always go back home and recharge. “Dao Xiang” illustrates the image of a rural village with rice fields, where a little boy shares the story of his childhood. The song ends with the lyrics, “Treasure everything even if you have nothing,” giving hope to those who feel exhausted by their lives away from their hometowns.
Other groups presented videos. Los Leones highlighted many of the Latinx students of St. Mark’s who shared important features of their culture and traditions. Students from BLU ( Black/Latinio Union) explained the rich diversity within the black community by explaining different ancestral homes of each of the black St. Mark’s students. Following the video, BLU also performed a dance, with the genre of mix of African, Jamaican, and Hip Hop dances to the song “Toast” by Koffee. An interesting dance move they performed was called Gwara Gwara, a dance move made by an African DJ, DJ Bongz, and later made viral by the singer Rihanna.
The acapella group, Royal Blues performed the song, “Show Me Love” by Hundred Waters, boosting positive energy in the event.
Although the event was not held in the in-person unity of the whole school, the variety of performances made it possible for the school to successfully come together to celebrate the unity and inclusion of different cultures that exist among the people of St. Mark’s.