H-F talent show kicks off Black History Month celebration

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Updated: March 7, 2012 8:05AM

While many people were getting ready for the start of the Super Bowl on Sunday afternoon, an assembly of Southlanders were kicking off Black History Month with an ode to black culture at Homewood-Flossmoor High School’s Mall Auditorium.

It was the first year for the school-sponsored event, entitled “Through the Years: An Evolution of African-American Music, Dance and Spoken Word.”

The inaugural show featured singing, dancing, and poetry performances by H-F students, the school’s Inspirational Voices choir and its Viking Steppers dance team. The Najwa Dance Corps, a professional dance troupe from Malcolm X College, highlighted the show with an African dance recital to open the event.

“I was very happy. The kids did a fantastic job, and they were excited about the show,” said Donna Brumfield, who coordinated Sunday’s event. “And just for kids to participate says that they want this type of thing.”

Brumfield said the event blossomed out of her role as diversity trainer for the school district, and she looks to continue the show for next year.

The free talent showcase drew about 75 people, and many in the crowd called the appreciation for black culture crucially important for students.

“If there’s no celebration or recognition of history, eventually it kind of fades away in the sand,” said Homewood resident Reggie Peacock, who watched the show. “Especially this young generation, I think they kind of lose touch sometimes in terms of where they came from.”

Homewood-Flossmoor junior Gene Mason, who performed under the stage name G4, serenaded the crowd with his guitar-laced original composition, entitled “Love Struck.”

“I really am honored to be a part of something like this; there’s so much culture,” he said. “This is what my people did. So it was just good to be a part of something that’s legacy.”

Senior Taylor Mills paid tribute to late blues songstress Etta James, who died last month from complications of leukemia. Mills, who finished in the top 10 at last year’s WGCI High School Idol contest, sang James’ 1960 ballad “All I Could Do Was Cry.”

“It felt good, it was positive,” she said. “I wanted it to be more packed, but with the Super Bowl, a lot of people didn’t come.”

Senior Johanna Mason drew a standing ovation for her poem “Blurry Sky,” which touted an awareness of black history and standing in defiance of the stereotypes set for today’s youth. Mason, a member of the H-F poetry club, admitted being nervous because it was her first solo spoken word performance, but said she felt like she’d accomplished something afterward.

“Black history has always been celebrated in my family, so when I heard about it I got really excited,” she said. “I really wanted to talk about this because a lot of kids are really uneducated about our history.”