MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Students, professors, and local speakers joined for a celebration of Arab American History Month at Milwaukee Area Technical College Wednesday. 

The events of the day included dancing demonstrations, henna inkings, and a lunch featuring traditional halal food. 

For one event organizer, the event was equally about education for people not familiar with Arab culture as it was a place for people to express themselves freely. 

"Be yourself, be your genuine self. Advocate, advocate to be heard, advocate to let others experience your stories or listen to your stories," said Sawsan Rizeq, supervisor of advising and retention at MATC. "I'm actually really proud of my colleagues who are not Arab and are here today, who want to learn more, because these are educated individuals but there's always room to get to know different aspects of other people's lives."

National Arab American Heritage Month began in 2017 to celebrate the culture, history, and contributions of the nearly four million Arab Americans in the United States.