The Arts Celebrated during Lawrenceville’s Black History Month

In striving for unity alongside diversity on our campus, Lawrenceville is amplifying African American culture this February, during, Black History Month, through multiple facets. Over the weekend, students, clubs, and the administration organized a rich selection of activities for students to take part in, many of which centered around arts; included in this list were hands-on workshops, dance lessons, and concert opportunities.

On Saturday, February 15, after a touching alumni panel with Erica Callier-Valestin ’93, Greg Good ’02, and Turquoise Brewington ’18,  students could attend AfroFest, where staff and students set up activity stations, such as a beading booth and a graffiti-signature design area. The beading area was stocked high with a colorful array of bright, colorful beads and other supplies for students to create beautiful pieces with, and  staff guided the student-artists along the way. Many first-time jewelers noted the exciting novelty of the activity, chatting about their stylistic choices and excited to gift their jewelry to lucky recipients. 

The graffiti station also buzzed with interest, as Executive Director of the Hutchins Institute for Social Justice Zaheer Ali taught students the basics of creating an eye-catching signature. While helping students discover their signatures, he explained the importance of letting the letters flow out from the hand and rebelling against the ridgid, lifeless repetitive motions associated with typing (which many students stick to for their schoolwork). Here, students came out with large, poster-sized sheets with their name boldly imprinted on the front, highlighting the importance of self-expression and internal pride (we were taught to avoid too many identifying factors because, as Ali pointed out, one would not want to be caught for their law-infringing masterpieces on state-owned land). 

Students also had the opportunity to go off campus and experience musician Meshell Ndegeocello’s vocal performance at the McCarter Theater in Princeton, New Jersey. Viewers of the show witnessed the awe-striking rendition of her GRAMMY award-winning newest album, No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin. The album itself draws from the writing of James Baldwin, a highly esteemed American writer who played an invaluable role in highlighting  racism and justice in the United States. Ndegeocello also drew from the writings of Audre Lorde, also known for her observations on race. Eric Chen ‘27, described her music as “fascinating” explaining that “it’s this blend of jazz, spoken word, funk, soul, and countless different styles of music.” He added that “any attempt to classify her music is futile.” The album is not afraid to scrutinize how race and gender are treated in the modern day.  Referring to Baldwin, Chen noted that “his style lends itself to music” before remarking that “Ndegeocello wonderfully translates his words into music that, like the work of Baldwin, transcends boundaries.” 

Just as Ndegeocello’s work defies limitations, all art has the opportunity to advocate for social equity and justice, as highlighted at Lawrenceville this week. While all AfroFest activities will be over by the time readers see this article, remember to set aside time to attend other cultural events the school organizes or take the initiative to craft events to celebrate cultural holidays if they are yet to exist. The hallmark of an accepting community is not just tolerance but authentic involvement, so embrace the cultures within Lawrenceville through available activities and workshops as the year wraps up.