Black History Celebration, an Ongoing Conversation

Author: Crystal Belle

A dinner Friday evening in Coltrane Lounge was the first in a series of events planned to commemorate Black History Month, ranging from panel discussions to film screenings to a final prayer breakfast.

Looking around at the dinner, one could see a plethora of faces and cultures coming together to discuss pertinent issues that affect the black community today, and, of course, to sample Panda House cuisine.

Senior Advisor for Institutional Diversity Leroy Nesbitt was the first to address the audience. According to Nesbitt, "African-American history is not just a celebration of events, but also conversation." After Nesbitt quizzed students and faculty about the history of African-Americans at Middlebury College, a panel discussion began.

The discussion was based on clips from Spike Lee's "Bamboozled," which is a satire of network television's pitfalls and prejudices. A television writer, the black, Harvard-educated Pierre Delacroix, is forced by his white boss to come up with an urban hit, leading him to create a black face minstrel show.

In the first half of the 19th century, minstrel shows were a form of theatrical entertainment that originated in the United States, consisting of songs, dances and comic repartee.

The panel, which included Leroy Nesbitt, Tiffany Harris, an exchange student from Spelman College in Atlanta, Ga., Randy Cofield '02, Kudzai Zvoma '02 and Lisa Stifler '01, addressed the problems that the black community faces, including the use of the word "nigger" and issues of identity.

According to Harris, "Many times when African-Americans go to college to better themselves, they are addressed as 'acting white' as opposed to educated." The panel considered this theory, and then the student and faculty observers attempted to assess the subject even further.

Black identity was the prevalent topic, and many students were passionate about expressing the importance of their cultural heritage. According to Bhima Gaddy '05, "African-American history is rooted in slavery," thus making it harder in general for blacks to feel accepted in society.

After the panel discussion, the film "Tuskegee Airmen" was shown in Bicentennial Hall, hosted by the Distinguished Men of Color organization. The movie was about the black servicemen of the U.S. Army Air Forces who trained at Alabama's Tuskegee Army Air field in World War II. The movie portrays many of the struggles and obstacles the black servicemen experienced due to the color of their skin.

The weekend continued on Saturday with an afternoon Cultural Extravaganza hosted by Morgan A. Jones '04. There were many performances by members of African American Alliance, as well as outside guests that were invited to perform.

The show began with a performance by dancer Sophia Morris-Pittman, who did an interpretive piece about a slave attempting to escape the confines of his master in Africa.

Following her dance was singing by Cherine Anderson '04, dancing by the Riddim Dance Troupe, rapping by Damian Washington '03, a small skit performed by Jan'l Hastings-Robinson '03 and Calvin Wallace '04, and finally a performance by slam poets from Atlanta.

The afternoon event was filled with culture and excitement as each performer displayed his or her talents with sparks of artistry and creativity.

The show was followed by a soul food dinner in the Chateau. Trays of collard greens, baby back ribs, baked macaroni and cheese and fried chicken brought everyone together once again to celebrate Black History Month.

At the dinner, Assistant Professor of American Literature Will Nash discussed the importance of the novel "The Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison, because of its relation to African American identity, which was a dominant theme of the weekend.

As Nash said, "one is not truly educated, until they have read 'The Invisible Man.'"

The night was not over until there was some dancing, which led to the party at the Gamut Room. Once again, members of AAA and other College students came together to celebrate the history of black culture.

To conclude the commemorative weekend, there was a prayer service and brunch in Redfield Proctor on Sunday morning.The purpose of the service was to give thanks to everyone who has contributed, and continues to contribute to black history.

Although the struggle for equality continues, participants acknowledged the achievements of African Americans both yesterday and today, for they set the trend for black history's future.