History Month ends with 'Lyrics of Blackness'
Campus Times
March 5, 1999
All things must end sooner or later. But sometimes the end is just a
new beginning and some things come full circle one day.
The University of La Verne's celebration of African-American History
Month, presented by the Multicultural Student Affairs Department, came to
an end last Friday.
"Lyrics of Blackness" at Lordsburg Coffee Roasters saw sophomore
Nikkia Williams and freshman Ryan Knoles reciting African-American poetry.
The artists displayed amazing talents and at the same time a promise
of a new beginning.
Williams opened with a dramatic interpretation of Lanie Robertson's
"Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill."
Williams, who usually performs in competition, said, "I just want
the audience to be happy with it and to really like it."
The audience found itself put into a different time and place and thanked
her with enthusiastic applause.
Audience members were tempted to look for the fictional piano player
Williams addressed during her performance. For a few minutes, Lordsburg
was a bar in Philadelphia.
"When I did it before tonight [in debate competitions], I just
wanted to get first place, but tonight I just wanted to enjoy it,"
Williams said.
Knoles, also a member of the debate team, followed with a collection
of poetry and song lyrics by Langston Hughes, W.F. Grant and George C. Wolfe
revolving around the theme of "the beat."
He showcased an ability to change the tone of his voice from high-pitched
to a low baritone. Audience members found their ears to be deceiving. While
the audience heard the voice of an African-American artist, it saw a slender,
young Caucasian male performing.
"I thought it was really good to be interested in the history of
black Americans and enjoy what they had to offer enough to want to make
it part of [his] repertoire," said Harvel Lewis, coordinator and adviser
of multicultural student affairs.
Lewis came up with the idea for the evening when the two students spontaneously
performed for her. She wanted people to enjoy "the great talents ULV
has to offer."
She said, "I thought it would just be a new idea, a great idea
to celebrate some famous black Americans."
As "Lyrics of Blackness" rounded up the Black History Month
celebration, the people involved shared their thoughts on the importance
of the month.
Williams said, "Black History Month means to me recognition of
the contribution of my heritage to America.
"It shows us that these people had it rougher than we did so we
should not neglect the roads that they paved for us; we should go on and
make it better for the next generation."
Knoles expressed his appreciation for the African-American artists.
"Black History Month is important to me," he said. "Because
I can each year learn to appreciate something that I didn't know earlier
and widen my appreciation for an entire race of humans that has served to
enrich everyone's life for the better."
However, Knoles questioned the meaning of the month.
"I think Black History Month is extremely important because it
carries along with it that maybe one day we won't need a month and it'll
be a year as opposed to, 'Here is your time slot, make use of it, otherwise
February is over; you missed it.' "
Lewis agreed.
"On the history part [it would be better] if we could really [include]
African Americans in our history books," she said, "instead of
having just one month and say, 'OK, here are the famous black Americans
and this is what they did.' "
Nevertheless, she said that it "is a way to share a culture and
to educate."
Freshman Ross Mathews enjoyed the evening.
"What I enjoyed especially was being able to be welcomed into a
Black History Month celebration," he said. "That was wonderful
to me, just to be included and to be allowed to celebrate the history."
