This year’s Cultural Expressions showcase will be held on Saturday, Feb. 26, in the Warch Campus Center, with multiple events happening from 3–10 p.m. As a part of the Black History Month celebrations, this annual event is intended to be a celebration of the people of color at Lawrence University and a platform through which they can come together and showcase their talents.
To start the festivities off, all the artists participating in the showcase will be invited to the Cultural Expressions Dinner from 3–5 p.m. at the Diversity and Intercultural Center. That will be followed by the Cultural Expressions Gallery from 6–10 p.m. in the Mead Witter Room, for students and faculty to browse the visual and written art of other artists of color before heading to the show. The night will end with performances in the Esch Hurvis Studio from 7–10 p.m., where students will be expressing their talents and skill through various mediums of expression, representing the culture they resonate with.
Cultural Expressions has become an integral part of Black Student Union’s celebration of Black History Month, according to junior Gabriella Holder, the event coordinator for BSU. The theme for Cultural Expressions this year is “U.N.I.T.Y.,” inspired by the song “U.N.I.T.Y” by Queen Latifah and speaking to the larger theme of the 1990s. The mediums of expression include spoken word, dance performances, singing and a video. There are a total of 20 participants who went through an audition process and have been practicing since the beginning of the term.
“Cultural Expressions is an annual talent show hosted during Black History Month meant for POCs on campus to show off their talents, in hopes of showing the Lawrence community that there are many diverse groups of cultural background here at Lawrence University,” Holder said.
Junior Raven Ganaway, who is one of the performers, expressed excitement for the event. She is participating in three dance performances, the first one inspired by Black hip-hop, followed by a West African dance and a jazz performance with sophomore Chloe Thomas.
“Cultural Expressions is unlike any other show in that it creates such a sense of community and reminds me of home,” Ganaway said. “The performances present many cultures that are underrepresented. I am extremely excited to showcase my passion for dance, my favorite form of artistic expression, alongside other students of color.”