Arts
From music, poetry, dance, and drama, Neisha Powells '95 left no creative medium unexplored as she presented her senior thesis "The Beauty in Black: A Historical Revue," to a captivated and highly energetic audience in Collis Common Ground this Sunday.
Powells, a woman sporting many hats, wrote, directed, and starred in numerous scenes which composed the production.
"A dream come true ... this revue was to encourage everyone to see the history of Blacks in America from a different perspective," Powells said.
"Often Black History programs are centered around remembering famous Black leaders" Powells said.
"While these leaders are noteworthy and have made significant contributions to the African-American culture, far too often the everyday people who embody and determine Black History get overlooked," she said.
Appropriately timed during Black History Month, "Beauty in Black" presented the beginnings of Afro-American culture from "The Creation" by James Weldon Johnson to a Oprah-esque mock talk show addressing the controversial hip-hop of such artists as Snoop Doggy Dogg and Ice T.
In the brief vignettes, Powells showcases not only the feelings of the time period she's attempting to explore but also the costumes and music of that era.