Shades of Black event celebrates culture on campus

NIK BJURSTROM/THE ARBITER

The first ever Shades of Black show to hit Boise State came and went Saturday night. The presence of diverse cultures from all over campus and the Northwest were lively and united. The Black Student Alliance (BSA) hosted the event which celebrated black culture — among others — through song, dance and words.

Founder of Shades of Black and University of Idaho alumnus Kwapi Vengesayi said it wasn’t about the turnout, it was about the show.

“It looked like we had a great number of people,” Vengesayi said. “I really liked it.”

Vengesayi performed a spoken word presentation and a duet with Olivia Thomas, a Washington State University student and vocalist for one of the performing bands.

BSA President Joshua Henry, a Boise State junior psychology major, felt the show came together well, though he wished to see more students in attendance.

“The show came together and it was just truly amazing,” Henry said. “We had a good turnout from the community and the students who did come I believe truly enjoyed it. I know I did.”

BSA members were enthusiastic to see the end result of the show they had planned for months. Shena Foster, a Boise State freshman business major, was bursting with energy as the show came to a close.

“The show was amazing,” Foster said. “I didn’t think it was going to turnout like this. The show was a huge success. BSA is finally on their feet, it’s a start.”

Foster and other members were proud to make a name for BSA and be a part of such a big movement as Shades of Black.

Performers showed their heart and passion on the stage. From poetry to dancing, everyone expressed their diversity and moved the crowd to set differences aside and come together to celebrate culture.

“This is one of the best performances I have ever done,” said Mikey Castro, a freshman information technology major. “I had a lot of fun, everyone here was so great. That’s why I dance.”

Henry, Vengesayi and other BSA members look forward to bringing Shades of Black back to Boise State next year in hopes of making it an annual show on campus.

“It is something Boise State has never seen before,” Henry said. “I am hoping to bring it back next year as an annual event. I am truly happy with the way the show turned out.”

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Posted by Natalie Craig on Apr 25 2011. Filed under Culture, Sub Feature. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.