First published Feb. 27, 2023 in Stories Beneath the Shell.
by James Matheson
The Office of Multicultural Involvement Community Advocacy hosted its inaugural Black Prom Sunday in the Adele H. Stamp Student Union’s Grand Ballroom to celebrate the final days of Black History Month.
Students got to dine on beef wellington, dance in flowing ball gowns, and step on a circle that rotated a camera around them, all in the spirit of joyful resistance.
Existence is Resistance: That was MICA’s slogan throughout Black History Month.
“Just to live is a radical act for a lot of Black people,” said Micaylah Jones, MICA’s graduate coordinator for Black student involvement. “So just pat yourself on the back every day for waking up and doing what you got to do.”
This peaceful resistance and embrace of Black culture is not going to end on Feb. 28. While Black History Month is a time to embrace history and culture, MICA emphasized, the conversations started this month will continue through the remaining 10 months of this year and beyond.
“We’ve been having a lot of hard conversations about very big topics all month … This night is just about having fun. The world doesn’t need to be all on your shoulders,” said Kayla Nazaire, president of Riddim Ryderz, which describes itself as the caribbean fever dance troupe, and a senior journalism student.
Nazaire and her dance troupe brought the party to Black prom. As ten dancers moved in fluidity across the center of the 8,750 square-foot ballroom lit with flashing lights, attendees celebrated the rich display of Black culture shown through a dance which had its roots laid in the adoption and evolution of various African and indigenous customs.
The dance group provided those in attendance with a moment to decompress and refuel before continuing to serve as activists for the Black community on campus.
“Throughout American history, there has been a struggle within the Black community in various forms,” said Alanna McDowall, a MICA intern for Black student involvement and senior architecture major. “However, through that we are able to resist and flourish and have a beautiful culture that can be celebrated.”
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