On the evening of Friday, February 11th, NC recognized Black History Month with a celebration organized by Black Student Union (BSU) and the Fine Arts department in the Performing Arts Center (PAC) at NC. The program entailed guest speakers along with performances from NC’s very own chorus and band. The collaboration counts as NC’s first official black history celebration event, which garnered a substantial audience full of students, parents, faculty and staff.

 “I think the event was a huge success because the house was packed and the Fine Arts department did an astonishing job. My favorite part was the men’s quartet. Their voices were so powerful and they sounded extremely well-rehearsed. NC should definitely do this every year and I’m frankly surprised that a Black History Month celebration like this wasn’t put into place much sooner,” junior Laila Odom said. 

As the celebration goers entered the PAC, they passed countless works of art displayed by NC’s visual arts students. Each painting crafted by the artists represented their own interpretation of black history; they created each piece to show the significance that it holds. The vibrant, unique and flamboyant nature of the exhibition excited the audience as they entered the PAC, eager to see what the night will offer. 

Senior BSU presidents Ruth Luulay and Abigail Nwachukwu kicked off the Black History Month celebration with a warm welcome to greet the audience, introducing the upcoming performances. The men’s chorus graced the stage with traditional songs from the Black community including “Tshotsholoza”, “Glory” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” CCSD Leadership Officer Sherri Hill and an NC theater student executed engaging oral pieces, which moved the audience beyond words. The symphony wrapped up the night with a bang, as they performed the classic piece “Of Our New Day Begun”. 

“I feel like we got so many different groups involved and the audience absolutely loved it… I’m so glad there was an official celebration and hopefully, it will get bigger and bigger as the years go on,” Nwachukwu said. 

This well-organized event ultimately brought an abundance of individuals together to recognize a month pertaining to a plethora of students at NC. The successful outcome of Friday’s event will certainly promote a domino effect of similar events to occur in the future.

“I think the event was very successful and had a great turnout. I just loved the entire event and think every single part of it was amazing. I enjoyed listening to the male choir because I don’t think I’ve heard them a lot, so I enjoyed seeing my students. Hearing the boys sing just melted my heart, as well as the band and one symphony because it brought me to tears. This is a new event, but I know it won’t be the last, so I think a lot of our students are excited to see what’s next for us. I want to send a special shoutout to Ms. Holly Botella because she was able to involve our fine arts department, so it inspired a lot of people to create different things to bring to the future,” school counselor Leza Aldridge said.