Fifth Annual Black History Month Show Opens This Weekend

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Taylor Pleasant, Staff Writer

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Friday, March 5th – 7pm Join live event
Saturday, March 6th – 7pm Join live event 
Sunday, March 7th – 3pm – Join live event

The critically acclaimed Black History Month show opens this week. This year’s performance, “Still I Breathe: A Celebration of African American History”, will be making its debut March 5- 7, 2021. “The show itself is a celebration of African American history, it features a rough timeline of important people who have made a difference or change in the history. We highlight a combination of acting, singing, poetry, and dancing all put together in a beautiful piece of celebration.” Director Mrs. Curtis says.

The name “Still I Breathe” was chosen to memorialize and pay respects to George Floyd, a victim of police brutality who, while having an officer kneel on his neck, exclaimed “I can’t breathe.” Scenes in this show are designed to be reenactments of real life experiences and issues. The Step Routine, performed by the cast, highlights a group of historical Black fraternities and sororities most commonly known as The Divine 9. “Being a part of the step is actually very important because it feel like you are taking on a role which gives you a lot of responsibility”, Ryan Hoxie (11) says. In a more guttural scene, the show sheds some light on the more tragic incidents in history. Fanny Lou Hammer, played by Grace Edmonds (9) and Praise Nwankwo (11), was a powerful woman with words so strong Lyndon B. Johnson didn’t want the world to hear it. Hammer’s speech told the heartbreaking truth about what she endured while trying to register to vote.

The Black History show is a way to bring everyone together, whether you are on the stage or in the audience. People from all different backgrounds come together to make a show for the community and all people from different backgrounds come to enjoy and learn from it. Everyone is included and everyone takes part in telling stories throughout history. “I believe this show is important to see because, considering what has happened in between this year and last year, we talk about things that people may not want to talk about but need to talk about,” assistant director Artis Galloway (12) said.