After months of preparation, Enloe’s Black Student Union is about to perform its highly anticipated Black History Month Showcase for the first time in two years. This year’s showcase focuses on Black excellence and the struggles that the Black community has faced, especially in the last two years during the height of the Black Lives Matter protests.

For around half of Enloe’s population, this will be the first Black History Month Showcase that they will be able to view. For students who haven’t seen it before, the Black History Month Showcase is essentially the amalgamation of the talents of Enloe’s Black Student Union, which are grouped into dance, acting, modeling, stepping, and singing. All of these talents are used to tell a story about Black history and its modern implications. “The show just creates a moment to really see what we’re all about,” said Janai Williams, the director of the showcase. This year’s show focuses on “not only what happened recently during quarantine but what has happened throughout the years, like all the way back to Emmett Till.”

Like most events, the Black Student Union was unable to perform their showcase last year due to COVID-19 protocol, but instead, they held a virtual gallery to feature Black artists at Enloe. The Union also participated in the Black Lives Matter and SRO (School Resource Officer) protests, among others. Williams said that this year’s showcase reflects the experiences and feelings they had at these demonstrations.

Being able to perform their showcase this year is especially important to members of the Black Student Union, as many members, such as Carrington Downing, say that it gives them a place to feel valued: “It gives us a chance to express ourselves and how we feel about certain things, it makes us feel important.” This event is by far, the most important part of the year for the Black Student Union, with Ava Wharton, co-president, calling it the “crown jewel” of the Union’s school year.

Members of the Black Student Union hope that the showcase spotlights Enloe’s Black population: “Black Student Union is not something that a lot of people know about given that it’s very important for people to know that we have a voice,” said Williams. “I‘ve always wanted every single person in this school, Black or White, or whatever race to know how important it is to be Black and what comes with that.” Members of the Union also want to shine a light on the struggles that Black students face, such as their underrepresentation in advanced courses at Enloe: “not all Black students get the same chances as other students with AP classes, so [BSU] gives them somewhere to fit in,” said Ashleigh Jones, a member of the showcase.

The Black Student Union has been working tirelessly to create this production, with members of the showcase rehearsing every day after school for the last month. This showcase will truly be a testament to the talents that the Union holds, as members are pouring their hearts into this production.

The Black Student Union Showcase has two showings, one on Monday, February 7th at 6pm in the auditorium, which is intended for parents and Enloe students who aren’t seniors. The final showing will be on February 8th during second period, where only seniors will be allowed to watch in the auditorium, while the rest of the school watches from school televisions. There is no entry cost, but donations are appreciated.

Use this link to check out Enloe’s Black Student Union on Instagram!