Underneath a sky of red, green and black balloons symbolizing the power of Africa and that of her descendants, the Black History Extravaganza program showcased Dartmouth artistic talent in celebration of Black History Month.
The show was varied with acts from many different sections of campus -- from a cappella groups to poetry and music. It took place last night in Alumni Hall and was co-sponsored by Dartmouth United, the Office of Residential Life, the Choates residential cluster and the African and Afro-American Studies Department.
Lisana Gabriel '96 led the audience of about 50 people, mainly students, in a stirring rendition of "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" by James Weldon Johnson.
The words of the song prefaced the mix of emotions and powerful intertwined messages of the night:
"Facing the rising sun/ Of a new day begun/ Let us march on/ Till victory is won."
Selections of poetry were read by Damali Rhett '99, Nakiah Cherry '96 and members of the Black Underground Theater Association at various intervals during the show.
These segments helped to enhance and define the underlying message of the program -- that there are still many problems regarding the black community with which America has to deal.
As one of the poets said in an opening poem, "You're young, gifted and black -- but this may not be enough to save you."
Others touched upon the issues of racism, violence, educational inequity and urban squalor.
Some parts of the evening's program, while no less powerful, demonstrated aspects of the black or black-inspired artistic experience.
Femme Fatale, a recently-formed female a cappella group, thrilled the audience with their rhythm and blues songs which stirred the heart, such as "Candy Rain."
Their voices were smooth and demonstrated their unique contributions to Dartmouth's music scene.
The Cords, another new all-male singing group, brought the powerful sounds of Duke Ellington to the room.
Instrumental appearances were also a big hit of the night. A classical music segment featuring a violin performance with Taurey Butler '96 playing piano and African drumming made rousing acts.
But probably the most energetic segment of the show was Sheba, an urban dance troupe whose powerful and funkadelic rhythms to the beats of Salt-N-Pepa's "Push It" impressed the crowd.
The dancers of Sheba showed great versatility and energy as well as their tireless dedication to the genre of urban dance.
Events interspersed throughout the night included more performances by BUTA, whose acts alongside poetry readings delivered a powerful message of the beauty of African-American heritage. The acts of the night demonstrated that such beauty.
