MLK Night: Living the dream in 2007

By Maggie Beidelman

"Tonight, we will be discussing the black experience in America," said sophomore Stephen Archer at the opening of MLK Night 2007, "Let Us March On," held on Monday evening.

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Center for Multicultural Learning and Igwebuike sponsored this celebration in Mayer Theatre in which students performed interpretive dances, skits, songs, speeches and raps centered around the theme of African American history.

"We will examine the different ways African-Americans have triumphed in the sphere (of discrimination)," said Archer.

The performance opened with a dynamic African interpretive dance choreographed by Kendra Okposo.

The all-black cast beautifully portrayed through dance and speech the anguish of blacks, discriminated against in America for centuries.

The next scene featured a dialogue entitled "Escaping Free" in which two slaves discussed the cruelties of slavery and the limited rights of blacks.

From beginning to end, the night's scenes depicted the journey of blacks from the times of slavery until now and how blacks in America have both struggled to gain equal rights and continue to be disallowed those rights.

Another dance featuring the styles of traditional African dance and contemporary hip-hop demonstrated a thanks to African ancestors for the gift of tradition and celebration of ritual.

One particularly intense skit erupted in a frenzy of arguments between a couple about the hardship of bringing new life into a difficult and unjust world.

"I ain't bringin' nobody into this world," declared the wife, "(Because this world) don't respect life."

Another scene reenacted a 1991 rally at Santa Clara where students endorsed the increase of racial minorities on campus and requested that an ethnic studies program be started at the university.

"The year is 1991, and people are committing racist acts," proclaimed the rally organizer.

At the conclusion of the reenacted rally, another speech told that Paul Locatelli, S.J., agreed to bring more minorities on campus in both the faculty and student population, and an ethnic studies program was introduced for the first time at the university in 1991.

This scene of the rally successfully implemented in the audience the element of surprise that an ethnic studies program was considered only 15 years ago; an enthusiastic and firm applause succeeded the blackout of the scene.

The nearly full house responded with open laughter and delight at some other rather comical skits about blacks in America.

These skits were light-hearted renditions about black experience in America, as well as about being young, old, popular, unpopular and growing up.

Some of the scenes explained what it means to be black in present-day America.

"Being black is who you are; it's not how you act," said an actor.

But the ultimate message was that blacks have to deal with the same issues growing up that people of any other race or color do; it's just that, quite often, they have to deal with racial prejudices, whether pronounced or not, in addition to everything else.

The skits depicted real life in ways that people of any race can relate to.

"In the end, that's all we're looking for -- just someone to be real," said one actor, referring to the needs of people everywhere. "When will other people realize that it's not the color of you skin that matters?" asked another actor.

The evening concluded with a tribute to the Hurricane Katrina disaster. "As a black man," spoke senior Dale Johnson, "I cannot ignore that many of the victims' faces, especially in New Orleans, looked like mine."

Thus, a tribute in the form of song and dance was specially created to commemorate the victims and to continue to recall the disaster that, as Johnson said, was a disaster because of both nature and the following public disregard.

The cast joined hands onstage for a final song, the Black National Anthem. Every member of the predominantly charmed and enthusiastic audience stood in recognition of the song, and those who knew it sang along.

"Let us march," they sang. "Let us march on till victory is won."

Contact Maggie Beidelman at (408) 551-1918 or mbeidelman@scu.edu.