News > April 3, 2008

By Elliot Engstrom | News editor

The Black Student Alliance hosted this year’s Celebration of Black Arts under the name of “Black Hollywood” in the Magnolia Room March 29. The event aimed to celebrate African-American celebrities of the past and showcased the talent of BSA members.

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The Black Student Alliance celebrated the black arts of the past and present March 29 in the Magnolia Room. (Elliot Engstrom/Old Gold & Black)

Students congregated outside of the Magnolia Room prior to the event’s beginning at 7 p.m.

The night included music from a jazz band, student performances, raffle prizes and dinner.

“On behalf of BSA, we want to tell everybody welcome to the Celebration of Black Arts,” BSA president Chloe Mexile said as the attendees seated themselves.

To begin the evening, students were served a buffet dinner. After a few minutes of dining, conversation and table mingling, the evening’s events began.

Senior Troy Pellom, a member of the Umoja Theatre Ensemble, kicked off the celebration with a monologue, followed by a performance by members of the university Gospel Choir.

During the interludes, raffle prizes were given out to members of the audience. Dozens of prizes were won, including DVDs and paintings.

Senior Lauren Smith sang a rendition of “I Can’t Help Loving That Man of Mine.”

The song was originally supposed to be sung by Lena Horn, a black actress, in a film about an interracial couple.

However, a black lead woman with a white lead man in a film was against the law at the time, so Horn had to teach the song to the white actress who sang in the movie.

Smith dedicated her rendition of the song to Lena Horn.

The night continued with a variety of performances, including interpretive dance, more singing and rap.

The night was capped off by Terryl Dozier and Roman Irving’s performance, at the end of which they had a rose given to every girl in the audience.

“It was unexpected to say the least,” Mexile said. “It was a nice surprise though.” The night meant a lot to Mexile, who had been planning the event since last semester. “We saw a void and saw that something had to be done, so we wanted to put together this arts celebration,” Mexile said.

“Cassandra Young, who was president last year, brought it to us and we started it.”

The Office of Multicultural Affairs also helped in the planning of the event.

This year’s celebration marked the second annual Celebration of Black Arts. Last year’s theme was “Journey to Harlem.”

Mexile is thankful for BSA’s influence on campus life.

“BSA on this campus is needed,” Mexile said. “We don’t have a very diverse campus, but we do have a strong group of African-American students that go here.

However, their numbers are so small that they’re not heard.

I think BSA gives them a way to get their voice out there and raise issues that people dodge on a day to day basis.

You just don’t talk about race here unless you’re in a race class, but we deal with it every day.”

BSA has been growing ever since Mexile’s arrival at the university.

“When I was a freshman, they (BSA) really weren’t as prominent as they are now,” Mexile said.

She became a member of the exec board her sophomore year.

“I’ve been on exec board ever since, and we’ve grown every year.”

Like all members of BSA, Mexile plans to use her race positively in life.

“It’s not something that I’m going to let hold me back,” she said.

“I’m going to let it propel me forward.”