On Thursday, February 29, Millbrook’s Black Student Union (BSU) presented the “Black History Through the Fazes of Art” showcase. The showcase took place in period 2B, as well as 4B, and had a duration of about forty minutes. This showcase contained 11 acts that all presented different talents present within Millbrook’s Black community.
Concerning the purpose of showcases such as this one, Millbrook teacher and BSU club advisor, Mr. Abdul-Aziz, says, “We at BSU believe that the purpose of this form of showcase is to highlight and combat racial discrimination here at Millbrook. To unite all students of color and highlight those who support students of color.”
The show opened with four Millbrook students that each hold office within the BSU club here at Millbrook. Each of them spoke on different things BSU does over the course of their meetings. They do community outreach projects, like donating to retirement homes, and provide a safe haven for students in general, but especially Black students. These students were Vice President Stephanie Smith; Secretary Jaylin Halim; Social Media Liaison Giovanna Hunter; and President Lisette Hunter. After they gave information about the club, Mr. Abdul-Aziz came past the curtain.
Mr. Abdul-Aziz introduced the “baddest and greatest dance club out there,” also known as Millbrook’s African Student Association (ASA). This first act presented a very vibrant display of African dances to numerous songs that included afrobeats. All in front of a red background, the 15 students entertained the crowd with their groovy moves, while wearing colorful lapas, which is a fabric worn similar to sarongs that is specific to Africa.
Next, Stephanie Smith read a Langston Hughes poem called, “Mother to Son.” This poem is about a mother talking to her son about how rough her life has been, but she has never given up and neither should he. This poem is very impactful for the audience in which it was read because it portrays to teenagers that life has only begun and you can’t just give up in the face of adversity.
The act following was an original violin piece performed by Xavier Brown. The piece had a mournful, yet beautiful tone that was played very thoughtfully and drew the audience in by their ears. The only other instrumental musical performance came after his and it was an original drumming piece performed by Nazsir Hawkins. Nazsir’s piece exceptionally contrasted Xavier’s violinist solo because there was so much attack behind every hit to the drum and emotion that still exemplified great skill.
Next up on stage were two students, Micah Ferguson and Melai Amos, performing, “Best Part,” by Daniel Caesar and HER. The vocals were very smooth and meshed together in a very beautiful way. Both singers were very comfortable on stage and talented. Speaking of being gifted, the next act was a pair performing a poem called, “To Be Young Gifted, and Black,” by Weldon J. Irvine, Jr. This pair was Jaylin Halim and Giovanna Hunter and the poem speaks on the importance of young Black people knowing that they all have something to contribute to the world and to ensure that their kids deserve to know that truth as well.
A strong and confident singer graced the stage next, performing, “Golden,” by Jill Scott. This singer was Kaori Doughty, who managed to hype up the crowd constantly, while her voice impressively soared on. The energy didn’t subside though because next was a dance duet performed by Kelly Parks and Jabrea Monét. The entire performance was to Tory Lanez’s song called, “Luv,” which called for the dancers to have a sensual, but groovy vibe behind their movements.
In addition to her excellent performance earlier in the show, Melai Amos performed, “If I Ever Fall in Love,” by Shai. This performance was a very raw display of vocals that managed to be smooth, but also big and powerful. Following the performance, an announcer said, “Ok chills, goosebumps, I love it,” and that’s an extremely accurate sentiment that the entire audience was feeling at that moment.
The second to last performance was a reading of the poem, “BLK History Month,” by Nikki Giovanni. The student reading this poem was Mariama Deen. The poem is about the importance of Black History Month because of it’s reminder to young Black people that they are as good as anybody else and they have a place here. From the systemic disadvantages and the ignorant people that still exist in America, it’s important to have a month to celebrate and amplify Black voices for the contributions they make in society. This is necessary because this marginalized group is not always recognized or applauded for their excellence.
Finally, the last performance was a dance group comprised of five boys. These students were Anthony Henriquez, Micah Ferguson, Marvin Diaz, Colton Walker, and Kai Preddy. The performers all had on white masks that were reminiscent of those of the American hip-hop dance crew, The Jabbawockeez, and wore black sweats. The music mix across the dance was comprised of different hip-hop and R&B-esque songs that supplied different vibes. For example, one song had a slow baseline where the artist was singing more than rapping, so the movements had more suspense and smoothness. In contrast, another song was quicker and had faster lyric delivery, so the dance moves were more staccato and intense.
Closing out the show, all participants from the 11 acts, including the BSU representatives, came out in curtain call style. Each act bowed, illuminated by a rainbow background, while the entire crowd cheered in tandem. Most notably, a couple of thanks were given to the administrators and people that were huge parts in putting the whole show together. These people include Mr. Edwards, Mr. Abdul, Mrs. Smith, the student technicians, and the performers, of course. Millbrook sophomore and BSU member, Tamia Richardson, said, “I loved the different talents coming together. It’s unexplainable.”
It’s important that, not just during the month of February, but during all months that we celebrate Black voices and proteges within their respective fields of expertise because not everyone starts at the same place at the start line. Historically marginalized groups in America will continue to be “minorities” if we don’t acknowledge their greatness and they continue to be ignored. Black people aren’t going anywhere, so the creation of months like these are made to remind our beautiful Black sisters and brothers that there is a place for them in America.
All in all, the BSU showcase was a huge success, displaying a wide variety of talents that are prevalent amongst Black students here, at Millbrook. Mr Abdul says, “Another piece is to just really highlight the talent we have here among the diverse group of students. From dancing, to singing, to acting, to musical instruments, and spoken word, it’s just to show that our students are extremely talented and gifted.”
