Black History Month 365: A Beautiful Production
Story by La’sha Green. Photo by Tanai Green.
On March 9th, 2023, multiple Friendship campuses from the fine arts department put on Black History Month 365, an event when schools come together to celebrate Black History Month with dancing, poetry, music, and more. To kick it off we had the adorable Angelita Bailey, a fifth grader from Southeast Academy, sing “Lift Every Voice and Sing”. It was so cute and she hit every note perfectly. Then Paris Barnes and Israel Watson from our very own Friendship Collegiate Academy performed “Glory”. It was moving and beautiful and had the crowd feeling empowered, hyped and excited.
FCA student Jamond Bryant performed his powerful poem “What Do We Wish For?” His movements, words, and expressions left the audience speechless and was definitely one of my favorite performances. Next, the Chamberlain dance ensemble performed “Freedom”. It was so energetic and fun and the crowd got up to dance with them. After that we had the precious Ideal Academy vocal ensemble sing “Lift Me Up.” It was so adorable and the lead singer did a good job with the vocals. The Blow Pierce dance ensemble performed “My Power,” and were incredible with their upbeat movements and amazing stage presence that left the crowd stunned.
One of my favorites,“Freedom Medley '' was performed by the Woodridge music department. They started off with a Stevie Wonder song and then surprised the audience with a rap that was written by students. It was an amazing performance overall. Speaking of amazing performances, our very own Collegiate dance ensemble performed “Proud Mary.” They had energy and left the audience ready to jump out of their seats. Lastly, we had the amazing voices of Armstrong singing “Spirit”. They were so wonderful and it was a delightful way to end the program.
It’s really amazing what Friendship students can do when they put their minds to something. Every Friendship campus welcomed us, showed us what they can do and did an amazing job celebrating Black History Month. This showcase is something you won’t want to miss next year.
La’sha Green is a senior at Friendship Collegiate Academy.