Students host a night of African song, dance and art
Hundreds of CU students, parents and Boulder community members filed into the Glenn Miller Ballroom last night to celebrate “A Night of Soul” and African American culture.
The event was put on by the Black Student Alliance, a student group on campus. The affair has been in the works since April.
“We took the idea and ran with it,” said La’Neice Littleton, a junior ethnic studies major. Littleton is not only an active member of the Black Student Alliance, but she also took part in the night’s festivities. Littleton danced with six other members during the event.
President of the Black Student Alliance Emem Ekiko, a senior sociology major, started of a the night with a speech “dedicated to African American unity.” She said it was her evening goal to share with the audience her culture’s history.
“Black history is American history. Its dedication cannot be crammed in 28 days,” said Ekiko, in reference to February as Black History Month, “but should be celebrated 365 days a year.”
The Glenn Miller Ballroom was decorated to exhibit African art and music. Dancers and enthusiastic poets commemorated their ancestors through their words and movements. A tribute was also made to black activist Assata Shakur.
Other perks to the night included live gospel music performed by the Umoja Voices Gospel Choir. The group is comprised of CU students as well as Black Student Alliance members. The choir performed the black national anthem, “Live Every Voice,” and “Blessed Assurance.”
Many members outside of Black Student Alliance attended including junior economics major Neil Yazdandoost. Yazdandoost hadn’t heard about the Black Student Alliance until recently and said he was excited to take part in the event.
“I think it’s great that they are putting on this event to be better recognized as a group,” Yazdandoost said.
The Black Student Alliance hopes to make “The Night of Soul” an annual event. The student group meets bi-weekly.
“It’s our point to make black issues apparent on campus with events such as this,” Littleton said. “There are only about 400 black students on campus and so we serve as a family to each other.”