On Thursday, Feb. 6, the Black Student Union performed its annual BSU Showcase. Enloe student talent was demonstrated through informative skits, songs, dances, and reenactments. Titled “The Power in Our Voice,” the presentation highlighted the progression of Black empowerment movements, from the Black Panther Party to Black Lives Matter. The showcase chronologically framed the systematic discrimination that the Black community has faced and intertwined messages of their continued fight for justice and equality. Ultimately, the showcase represents the unity and pride of the Black community.
The showcase had an ambitious vision, with hopes to educate viewers about the past and portray how the issues that existed decades ago are still present today. Behind the scenes, BSU President Ashleigh Jones and Showcase Coordinator Nailah Abd-Shakur worked tirelessly to accomplish their goal. This was not a small feat with over one hundred members involved and numerous interrelated acts. BSU Advisor Ms. Saulter highlighted the strong student leadership, stating, “The show is, I would say, 95% student produced.”
In such a large performance like this, picking acts that allow everyone to be involved while also conveying a cohesive message can be difficult. The BSU uses its hard-working team to distribute performances all under a guiding idea. “We have a showcase coordinator who is in charge of all the scripts, but the board, mainly me and the showcase coordinator, try to come up with the themes and the roles,” explains Jones. “Then we kind of give them a small piece of it… For example, step, we said that their theme is protesting after the Black Lives Matter movement, and they would kind of turn it into their own thing.”
Each year, the students decide on a thematic focus for the showcase. This helps to guide a visual and technical throughline, even when displaying a wide variety of acts. “The theme is the Black Panther Party in the past and then moving forward to how COVID affected us in 2020,” said Jones. This chronological approach was interwoven with integral pieces of Black culture in a mixture of historical scenes and artistic performances.
The historical aspect was especially important in executing this year’s performance. “There was research done with Mr. Farmer so we would be able to tie the 2020 vision of COVID back to the Black Panther Party. We were also trying to help actors with what they would say during that timeline,” Jones describes. The reenactment scenes from students helped to put the rest of the show in proper historical context, reemphasizing the importance of telling Black stories.
Jones explains the ideation phase that occurs during the first week of school. Within the first month, crucial logistics such as scripting and finalizing group roles are worked out. The planning process is extensive, as it involves coordinating five different aspects of the show: dance, step, acting, choir, and backstage operations. This complexity often results in challenging scheduling scenarios, making it the primary concern throughout the planning stages.
All of the hard work and dedication came to fruition on show day, perfectly combining the themes and history throughout the showcase. With the MC leading the audience alongside projections of historical figures or protests, relevance to the past and present was evident, particularly during the shift from the Black Panther Party to the Black Lives Matter movement. Jones asserted the use of color to guide the viewer, saying “[during acts about protest] we use stronger colors because it’s a protest and if we’re thinking more about the sad things that happen and reflecting on it we wear more earthy colors.” This contrast was clear during each of the acts, with powerful dancing featuring saturated colors against striking silhouettes, while the slow gospel was softly lit against earthy costume. One of the most common motifs was the fist, a symbol not only associated with the Black Panther and Black Lives Matter movements but a constant reminder of resistance against oppression.
Abd-Shakur sums up the importance of the BSU Showcase as a symbol of the strength in togetherness: “We’re still unified and we’re still working towards change, but we’re also trying to show that we resemble such a strong sense of togetherness.” Not only has the Black Student Union been a safe space to find community, but it has allowed Enloe students to spotlight their voices through artistic expression. Every individual who interacts with the showcase, as a performer or a viewer, feels the empowerment represented through each diverse act. This empowerment is the momentum that inspires change. Abd-Shakur finally remarked, “Though we’ve overcome many systematic disparities and discriminations, we’re still one.”
