The Black History speech showcase on Feb. 15 stood in front of an impressive crowd. Whether you’re a member of the black community, or simply someone wanting to learn more about black excellence, this was definitely a night that you didn’t want to miss.
“All of the other black history events I’ve been to haven’t had a crowd this big,” freshman political science major Nailah Brown said. “This is my first showcase and I’m really looking forward to it.”
With a diverse crowd, I was really curious about how well someone outside of the black community was going to understand the context behind some of these performances. When the show was ready, “This is America” by Childish Gambino played while Alpha Kappa Alpha, who hosted, danced their way on stage.
Already, I felt like I knew what to expect. Before the night officially started, the host reminded everyone that it was acceptable to laugh, cry, clap and snap when necessary, all of which I did throughout the performance.
The performers – Cassandra Edlund, Haleemah Na’allah, Trijae Johnson, Jahne Manifold, Joshua Beckles – kept me in awe on how well the deliveries of their messages were. From dramatic and duo interpretations and programmed oral interpretation, to informative speaking, I was drawn into each of the narratives being performed.
“I gave an informative speech about how we view Islamophobia as a mindset rather than a collective industry,” sophomore political science and philosophy major Haleemah Na’allah said. “I reeled in on the fact that it really is a corporation that is funding Islamophobia and that’s what’s driving it. Changing it from a mindset to something that is actually intentional and funded.”
The topics covered issues that the black community faces mostly in America. Topics such as police brutality, xenophobia, fetishization, stereotypes, forgotten history and more were brought to the audience’s attention. These are issues that everyone should take into consideration, but aren’t taught in everyday schooling.
“All of the performances were wonderful,” junior marketing major Deja Monroe said. “It was really eyeopening and definitely represented what it meant to be an African-American for sure.”
As someone who never had to worry about their own history, I realize that I take that for granted. My cultural identity means everything to me. It put me in a new perspective to see how something so special can be taken away from a group.
“We delved deeper into basic topics for African-American people,” said senior television arts major Kiana Baylor. “These events give us segments of information about who we are and how we can take back our identities.”
Not only did this event help open up conversations for African-Americans, but also for others to start thinking about these unspoken issues. With an audience ready to listen, the speech team delivered a night to start change.
