By Adithi Vimalanathan '22
On November 7, Notre Dame School presented What is Black: Celebrating Black American History through Music, Art, and Poetry, hosting performances by artists from both in and out of the school. The program included the works of several prominent African and African-American artists as well as original poetry by some of Notre Dame’s very own students. It commemorated and celebrated the often overshadowed African-American culture in our society and throughout history.
The show contained the work and performances of innumerable talented members of the Chez Nous community, including the Step and Dance teams, Glee and Sophomore choirs, and various student artists. What is Black was organized by Notre Dame’s music instructor, Ms. Wakabayashi, with the help of several members of the sophomore and junior classes. Bella Reina ‘21, who helped coordinate the event, said of her time working on the show: “I had a really great experience working on What is Black. I think a lot of people really enjoyed the show, and more importantly, felt some sense of ownership over art they created.”
The crowd watched intently as Imani Washington '21 began the show with her moving original poem, What is Black. New York University’s West African Gyil Ensemble provided the first musical number with African music and dance, and thus began the chronological progression of the set. Various songs led the audience through the genres and history of African-American music. Spirituals sung by Glee and recited by students led the audience into the world of African-American slavery, while Ms. Wakabayashi and the band played jazz with songs such as Bourbon Street Parade. Dance numbers by the Step and Dance teams provided captivating performances of contemporary music.
The show’s final music number was performed by Glee and the sophomore choir, who together sang the final song What’s Going On by Marvin Gaye. Bella Reina recited Won’t You Celebrate Me, and the artists onstage concluded with the final line, “Black is synonymous with love to me/ What is Black? What do you see?”
What is Black helped the Chez Nous community come together in celebration of a mistreated community and in recognition of largely ignored aspects of American history. It enabled everyone to celebrate the love and joy common to all, regardless of race. As Bella Reina puts it, “life appears to be the juxtaposition between death and survival, or hope and hopelessness, or whatever other set antonyms… the themes and experiences that are common with black history and lives serve as a beautiful vehicle to highlight that juxtaposition.”
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