Last week, Tosa East’s Black Student Union (BSU) celebrated Black History Month with a school wide assembly. Students gathered in the theatre during an extended advisory period to watch the presentation. The annual presentation brings the school together and is a display of culture and recognition. The performance is run entirely by Tosa East students with the president of BSU, Alexis Lockett, organizing it and other students giving speeches and running the technology behind the scenes.
The performance started with members of the Tosa East Orchestra playing instruments and singing songs written by influential black musicians. Marsey Brown-Hobson, a member of the performing orchestra ensemble, recalls, “In that moment, surrounded by Black excellence, I felt heard and seen in a way that went beyond the music, it felt like belonging. Our harmonies reflected strength, resilience, and generations of artistry, and standing there reminded me that we weren’t just performing for the program, we were honoring a legacy and adding our own voices to it”. The students were able to pay homage to black leaders who shaped music today and demonstrate their own talents. The demonstration didn’t just have audio arts, it also included a slideshow of physical art that included paintings, drawing, sculptures, photography, and ceramics all created by black students at East.
Students also shared about Tosa East’s new class AP African American History. The class was taught for the first time this school year and will continue to run next year as well. Some schools across the nation are trying to get rid of the class so it is vital to keep its enrollment up. Students currently in the class love getting to learn about the history and recommend it to all people. They recall the class as enlightening and a very good balance between lecture style or project-based learning. There was also a segment about Black American History as they shared leaders and events that happened to get the current Black History Month the U.S. celebrates.
Afterwards, the BSU performed their annual Black History Month Dance. This year’s event included a dance battle between “Old School” and “New School” dance moves, style and music. The dance, like always, captured the audience and had people singing, clapping, and cheering along. The dance helped establish the history of music and hiphop and compare it to contemporary music in the black community.
Next, Lyndia Kalumbula helped honor our black student athletes. Tosa East is proud to have excellent black athletes in a variety of sports. Kalumbula mentioned accomplished athletes in wrestling, boys soccer, football, boy’s and girl’s basketball, track and field, and volleyball. Her demonstration shows how pivotal black athletes are to Tosa East Athletic’s achievements and culture. The senior athletes as well as many other seniors got a shout out and opportunity to share their future plans during the next section: the senior spotlight. Slides were projected with the senior’s future career path and intended major of study. Students and faculty at Tosa East got the chance to congratulate all the accomplished black seniors and see how they will spread their talents into the world in the future.
The presentation ended with president of the Black Student Union, Alexis Lockett giving a meaningful speech. She then brought out previous BSU presidents and shared how they impacted the Tosa East BSU community. It was a meaningful way to show how the club has been resilient throughout challenges like the Covid-19 and how it has changed, adapted, and improved with differing leadership styles. Alexis then announced next year’s BSU president Nevaeh Goines, a current junior who plans to carry on BSU’s legacy.
The BSU’s Black History Month is an amazing way for the BSU to connect with all of the Tosa East student body and share the brilliant ways black people have shaped America and our school. A junior shared how much they enjoyed the performance saying, “I look forward to it every year and it’s one of the best parts about being a student at East and getting to learn about other cultures is so exciting”. We cannot wait to see what the BSU will do for the presentation next year!
Written by Olivia Stuart
Photos by Netsanet Tiling
