Last night Urbana High’s Black Student Association put on their fourth annual Black History Month Celebration. This year the event included a fashion show featuring clothing from many African countries, a performance from the Urbana step team and dance team, as well as a scene performed by Urbana’s thespian honor society. During the intermission of the show, food with ties to African culture was provided.
This event is very important to the student body at Urbana. It brings together many departments to put together an educational night celebrating African history and culture. The fashion show was a new addition this year, as well as an in school performance, that intrigued many students that did not know about the annual night.
The event’s finale was the most powerful piece of the night: students in the BSA wore black hoods, some with “Black Lives Matter” printed on it, and stood holding posters with similar phrases, all speaking towards the Black Lives Matter movement. As these students stood at the back of the stage, some with a single fist raised in the air (a common symbol of the movement), one member read names of black people that had been killed by police officers. The audience was captivated by this important message and it was an excellent way to end the incredible night.