The 24th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration week ended not with a simple interpretation of King’s dream, but an eloquent perspective on black history.
The Black Student Movement on Friday presented “I, Too, Sing America,” a production intended to raise awareness of minorities’ struggles for equality.
“This is a culmination of the entire week’s celebration,” said Racine Peters, a director of the production. “We’re focusing on not only the legacy Martin Luther King left, but the legacy our ancestors have left as well.”
Several student performing groups were involved in the production, including the Ebony Readers/Onyx Theater, Organization of African Students in Solidarity and the UNC Gospel Choir.
These groups and individuals took the stage at the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History and presented a multifaceted timeline of song, dance, poetry and narrative.
“We got a theme and idea and contacted a variety of different groups and people who had something valuable to offer to the program,” Peters said. “We wanted to present (the performance) in a way people can understand it and reflect upon themselves.”
The student-run performance took two months to plan and required much preparation. Peters’ co-director, Patrice Davis, said the process had a rigorous schedule.
“We had meetings every Thursday and each week,” Davis said. “It was kind of challenging, but we had a lot of good friends help us when we were in a bind.”
A strong sense of unity among the performers echoed in Cobb Theatre during the history-driven 90-minute production. The fluid chemistry among dancers during the traditional song “Wade in the Water” was true to its namesake, while the Harlem Renaissance was revived in a wave of jazz music by freshmen Antoine Dove and Taylor Johnson.
