Black Student Union presents: “A Renaissance of Black Joy”

Students from our Black Student Union (BSU) presented “The Renaissance” during a double AM assembly on Tuesday, Feb. 28. The assembly concluded Black History Month, its full title being, “A Renaissance of Black Joy.” The assembly included singers, speakers, dancing majorettes and a fashion show.

President of BSU, Cherie Animashaun, proposed the idea to have this assembly. She directed the performance, but appointed students to run the different sections of the show.  In preparation, students have been meeting Thursdays after school for the past couple of hardworking months. She hopes that non-Black students and staff will learn about Black culture and where they come from and is thrilled for those performing to celebrate themselves. Her goal of the assembly is to display all the different parts of Black culture and teach Black history on a deeper level.

“I’m most excited to see students, especially our Black students, embrace their culture and identity in front of the school. I know a lot of our students, especially our African and Caribbean students haven’t always felt comfortable embracing their identity and showing it proudly to the school, but with the cultural and traditional clothes we’ll have on and the music we’re incorporating, I’m really excited to have them showcase who they are to the school,” Animashaun said. “We’re hoping to tie in aspects of our history that are not taught in schools, and also tying it into the future and how we are going to impact the future and everything we plan to contribute. We’re trying to shed light on our ancestry and our power and we hope that the students enjoy it.”

“The Renaissance” was entirely student-led. Participants are prideful of their creations and curated the performances including dances and a fashion show. Student Activities Director Sarah Struebing is excited for students to be sharing their own personal stories. She has done much of the logistical and behind-the-scenes work.

“The students are taking ownership and watching, there [are] so many instances of student leadership in the performance and to see their passion and leadership I think is really powerful. It’s going to create a really authentic performance for our school,” Struebing said.

BSU sponsor, Elizabeth Brent, loved watching the students in BSU form a true community while preparing for the assembly.

“I want our BSU participants to feel a sense of pride and achievement for all their hard work. I want students watching to learn something new, have fun, and gain a new understanding of our students’ history,” Brent said.

Majorette coach Kayla Harris is also excited for her performance alongside her dancers. Majorette is a type of dance that includes a lot of splits, flexibility and sass.

“I like everything about it, but out of all of it, I like that they learn new things because a lot of them never did majorette before. I love that they’re having fun with it,” Harris said.

The participants did a wonderful job performing at the assembly. Thank you, BSU, for all of your hard work!