Webster Ghana Celebrates Diversity Through Multicultural Thanksgiving

The Webster University Ghana Campus held its inaugural multicultural Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday, Nov. 25, to celebrate its diverse student population.

The Multicultural Thanksgiving dinner brought students and staff across many different nationalities including Ghana, Nigeria, United States, Congo (Brazzaville), Togo, Mali, Cameroon, Guinea and Ivory Coast.

Dressed in traditional attire, the students represented their respective countries and also prepared an array of ethnic dishes. The dinner also featured traditional American Thanksgiving favorites such as turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and apple crumble for dessert. Students and staff sampled all dishes and enjoyed traditional West African music in an outdoor setting with long tables and chairs.

The campus director, Christa Sanders, took the opportunity to enlighten those with little knowledge of Thanksgiving about the history and evolution of Thanksgiving in the United States.

Sanders expressed her excitement for future Thanksgiving gatherings in Accra by stating, "It is my hope that this Multicultural Thanksgiving dinner will become a tradition at Webster Ghana where, we can have one day set aside in a year to come together and give thanks while also celebrating the great diversity of our student population."

The students took turns to share what they were grateful throughout the evening in an open mic style platform. "For some of the students, the Multicultural Thanksgiving dinner is an introduction to the Thanksgiving holiday and traditional dishes," said Adelina Martey, student affairs coordinator. "For others who are far from home, it provides a means of celebration and appreciation their culture and the great importance of cultural diversity at Webster University."

Expanding a Global Tradition

Webster Ghana's inaugural event expands a Webster tradition. Campuses throughout the campus network outside the United States (U.S. campuses are closed) typically hold a dinner or event to put a global spin on this U.S. Thanksgiving -- particularly welcome to American students who are studying abroad during this traditional family holiday.

For one example, see this post from Geneva's "Global Thanksgiving" sharing food and special dishes from around the world.