On April 18, the Black Student Alliance (BSA), in conjunction with Bradley’s chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), hosted a talent show in the Garrett Center.
Garrett Week was designated in 1978 to commemorate Dr. Romeo B. Garrett, the first African American professor at Bradley. The show charged a $5 entry fee with the proceeds going towards the organizations’ fall programs and service projects.
The first of four acts was a duo of magic, with sophomore interactive media game design major Reggie Paris as magician “Brother Kazaam” and freshman marketing major Gabriy’el Jones as his assistant. “Brother Kazaam” presented three card tricks and three object tricks. All three card tricks involved the same premise: guessing the volunteer’s card, which he did correctly each time.
Sophomore music and entertainment industry major John McGee-Day followed the act by performing an original song that he wrote in the hospital about turning hardships into lessons.
The last two acts were personal poem readings. The first piece was titled “Patriotism,” performed by Kiya Cockrell and written at the peak of Black Lives Matter activism that occurred in the summer of 2020. Christian Epps performed a piece from the perspective of his older brother about life in Chicago, and it spoke of the struggles his brother endured.
“My goal is to inform Black Bradley students on campus on educational and employment opportunities,” Cockrell, a sophomore English major and Education and Employment Chair for Bradley’s chapter of the NAACP, said. “But I also want to shed light about the issues that may not make it into the newsletter for Bradley and also provide students with a place where they can feel safe to voice their concerns.”
