With live steel pan music, mask decorating and a buffet of Caribbean and Latin American food, the Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education and El Centro kicked off Elon’s third annual Carnaval celebration on Feb. 26 in McKinnon Hall.
Carnaval is celebrated across the world before the Christian fasting period of Lent and is characterized by parades, dancing, costumes and masquerade balls. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, hosts the world’s largest Carnaval, with millions flooding the streets each year.
Elon’s Carnaval began with a Brazilian student who graduated last year, according to MJ Larrazabal, assistant director of the CREDE. As the event grows in popularity, it has expanded to include more Latin American countries and showcase African and Indigenous influences.
Senior Tyler McKellar, student coordinator for the Black Student Success CREDE initiative, said he wanted this year’s celebration to reflect those cultures.
“They've had Carnaval in the past and I've always enjoyed it,” McKellar said. “But I come from a Caribbean heritage, so when I think of Carnaval, I think more of the Caribbean side of it.”
McKellar worked with the CREDE to plan performances, catering, decorations and tables. One of his non-negotiables was featuring a steel pan. Jaimie Shores, an artist based in Charlotte performed live.
“Coming from a Caribbean background, steel pan is the main thing,” McKellar said. “Especially because my dad is from Trinidad and Tobago, which is where steel pan originated from.”
Sophomore Annika Clark said another highlight of Carnaval was the food, which ranged from Jamaican fried bread “festival” to Brazilian chocolate dessert “brigadeiro.”
“I loved all the different foods,” Clark said. “It's always my favorite part of events. I'm a big lover of plantains and all the different drinks I got to try.”
Abdul-Malik Harrison, assistant director for the CREDE, said he encourages students to attend cultural events at Elon to become more aware of the school’s diversity.
“When you get out of your comfort zone and you learn more about people of other cultures, you become a much more well rounded individual,” Harrison said. “That's exactly what Elon's mission is for students.”
Sophomore Anita Bhat said she believes that learning about other cultures helps promote understanding of those cultures.
“It's important to learn about other cultures and to understand them, because it contributes to equality and inclusion,” Bhat said. “If you're learning about it and you're seeing it, then it's not going to be something strange and different.”
Ultimately, the CREDE hopes events like Carnaval are both informative and fun, according to Sylvia Muñoz, director of the CREDE.
“One thing that I love about events like this is that they center joy, and right now, it’s really important to center joy,” Muñoz said. “It also creates community – I look around at all the students with different identities, different backgrounds, really engaging in something that they want to learn about and enjoy.”
The CREDE’s Black History Month events will conclude Feb. 28 with the Black Solidarity Conference, which will be held from noon to 5 p.m. in Moseley Student Center.