Shades of Black returns to UI
Twelve years ago Kwapi Vengesayi, an architecture and sociology student at the University of Idaho, shared a vision with his fellow classmates.
Vengesayi wanted to give the community of Moscow a new type of cultural showcase: one that was entertaining, but also gave the audience some food for thought about the issues going on in the community and nationwide.
This vision kickstarted the first Shades of Black event.
The 12th annual Shades of Black is a part of the UI’s celebration of Black History Month. The Office of Multicultural Affairs sponsors the event, along with groups such as the Black Student Union, the African Student Association, the Martin Institute and many other cultural groups.
The event will take place at 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7 in the Bruce Pitman Center International Ballroom, formerly known as the Student Union Building. Admission is free to students and to the general public.
Leathia Botello, coordinator for the Office of Multicultural Affairs, said Shades of Black is a great opportunity for students to think about cultural and racial issues in a different way.
“I think there’s a political conscience to this,” Botello said. “There’s going to be students that are going to say ‘This is my thought on what’s going on in Ferguson’ or ‘This is my thoughts on what’s going on in Ghana,’ and it’s going to be in a way that’s not a lecture, so this is going to be people’s interpretation of it, but through dance or through spoken word, and you’ll have a reaction to it.”
UI senior Chelsea Butler, a psychology major, said she had never been to an event like Shades of Black before attending UI. She said everything each performer does or says at the event comes from their hearts.
“One thing that really touches me about Shades is the diversity of the show,” she said. “It’s showcasing talent, but not just black talent.”
There will be about 16 acts during the showcase, ranging in entertainment. Botello said it would range from dancing and stomping to singing and slam poetry. Acts include “legacy” performances from the dance group Code Red from Cheney, Washington, and the God’s Harmony Gospel Choir from Washington State University.
Despite the multitude of guest performers from all around the area, the event isn’t just UI’s. Vengesayi, who is still involved in the event, spends time in each community searching for local talents to showcase and creates themes specific to each community.
UI’s theme this year is “Beauty is,” where students and performers are asked to share what their perception of internal and external beauty is through their own art forms.
Botello said the event is one of the few occasions the ballroom often fills over the maximum seating capacity. The room seats about 700 people, but some audience members still have to stand against the walls by the time the show starts.
Being the former president of the Black Student Union, Butler said the event means a lot to the group. She said they are grateful to be a part of the planning and to be able to help out with the show.
“It’s activism, but it’s not in the way where it’s being thrown in your face,” Butler said. “One of my favorite things about Shades of Black is the mix of people.”
Emily Mosset can be reached at [email protected]