Black History Month

I personally did not enjoy the Black History Month Conviction. It was not interesting. They could have gotten Sister Souljah, to talk about A Deeper Love Inside. The MLK weekend was really good. I think they should have done something more like that where students were active; allowing us, to showcase our modern experience with black history. At the MLK weekend student performed skits with current day songs and situations, sung songs that they had written, and recited poems that were created from the heart. We had a whole hour and all we talked about was our involvement in the freedom writers journey and an opera. They were both great parts of the presentation but it wasn’t effective to all people. I did enjoy the part where all the 4.0 students got recognized for their hard work, it was an inspiring act to ll in the room and the people who achieved it deserved to be recognized. It wasn’t a bad presentation I just wanted it to be more interesting; more involving for the youth. The youth are the ones who will be continuing. The MLK weekend made me feel like we were celebrating rather than reminiscing on sad factors. .This presentation was more informative rather than inspirational. I can see that having everything I’m asking for could not be possible because of the time slot but, I think they should have done it after classes that way everyone would have the luxury of being informed of our school history and some entertainment/celebratory aspects of our culture. Yes we do need to know about the struggle and the fight that so many of our ancestors went through so we can be where we are today but that is not all we are. We are a people that is creative in all aspects and I believe that should be showcased. I was disappointed but there were events throughout the whole month that satisfied my need for celebration and information and I thank Xavier for being active in providing the events celebrating our people.

Blog 6 – Black History Month Convocation

The Black History Month Convocation was very interesting. I enjoyed the fact that all of the students who received a 4.0 grade point average were finally recognized for their achievement. Now I know what students to go to when I need help with my homework. I also learned a lot from the convocation. One thing I found fascinating was when Judge Lombard talking about the Freedom Riders. I learned about how they were civil rights activists who rode buses into the segregated southern United States to challenge the United States Supreme Court. I was not aware that Xavier helped the Freedom Riders attain their goal. It’s good to know that the university that I attend played a part in the civil rights movement. I also liked the musical that was performed. It’s no where near the genre of music I like to listen to, but I still enjoyed it. That doubt that you will see something like that performed at many other universities. This event revealed so much black history information that you can’t find in any history textbook. I appreciate the fact the Xavier has this convocation every year to honor black history month because there are many colleges and high schools out there that do nothing for this month. This is why I feel that this is such a big deal. I honestly thought that this convocation was going to be boring, but I was surprised actually. All of black history that was discussed was intriguing and factual. I can tell that the university put a lot of hard work into putting it together as well. After leaving the convocation, I felt as if I knew a lot more about my school than I previously did. Overall, the Black History Month Convocation was an enlightening event, and I hope that we have more events like this to come.

Finding Something to Believe in

I often find myself humbled and amazed by the sheer courage and will-power exemplified by people who willingly fight against oppression, inequality, and injustices. These courageous people show a type of bravery that is unfortunately missing among the young people of today’s society, myself included. Nowadays, people don’t risk their lives in that same manner; they don’t have a purpose or idea worth fighting and dying for. And sometimes, I wonder who is luckier. Are we, a generation of abundance and ease, more fortunate than the average black American during the 1960’s who fought for his freedom? In some instances, I would say that yes, the present generation is luckier and more fortunate than the average black person during the 60’s; however, there is one important aspect that I believe differentiates the modern generation from the past generation. That difference is passion.

Blacks during the 1960’s had passion. They came together, united in their beliefs and hopes, to try to carve a better life for them and their families. These people were courageous, and even though many died in pursuit of this dream, their death is not in vain. You see, people nowadays aren’t passionate; they don’t have anything they are willing to die over. And by attending Xavier’s Black History Convocation, I realized this fact.

Xavier had the honor and privilege to listen to the keynote speaker, Judge Edwin A. Lombard who talked about the Freedom Riders and their civil rights involvement for the bettering of the African American life. Although his speech was slightly informal and at times difficult to follow, I believe that he highlighted important ideas that we as students should take away. He talked about the initial beginnings of the Freedom Riders and even mentioned Present Norman C. Francis’s involvement in the movement. He even went on to talk about the changing world and charged the student to take action in making the world a more just and humane society. His speech was truly motivational and his journey towards becoming a U.S. court judge inspires me to continue my dreams of becoming an obstetrician gynecologist. All in all, I can say that Black history month this year has been exceptionally wonderful.

Black History Convocation ft. Judge Lombard

The Black History Convocation was everything that I didn’t expect it to be. I planned on being on my phone the entire time, paying little to no attention. I imagined that there would be a speaker that was boring and took forever to get to the point. Before going to the program the only thing I was interested in was hearing the band play and seeing Dr. N. Frances because it is on rare occasion that he makes an appearance.  Well, to my surprise there was a very detailed ad structured program put together. The lights wernt all bright and blinding. The dimming of the lights created a sort of ambiance that was greatly appreciated. It changes the entire atmosphere of the convocation center. As always the band selected songs that were appropriate for the event. Including a rendition of “Down by the river Jordan”. I knew that song because I had played it at every black history program in High School. The speaker, Judge Lombard was a little long but he was interesting. His message was that of inspiration and I like the fact that he left on an encouraging note. Saying that we are continuing the dream that so many before us fought and even died so that we could have. When rethinking his entire “talk” I recall his story and the Navy Blue station wagon of Lena Horn’s that Don Hubbart drove down to the Freedom Summer in Mississippi in 1964. It was so sad to hear about the men three men that went missing and were found killed by the Klan and placed inside the car. That just goes to show that during that time people were really bold and that stood behind issues that they supported whole heartedly and were obviously willing to die for it. I personally know that t this young age i don’t know of any cause that I would go and fight for and am willing to risk my life for. As usual my favorite part of the convocation was te performance from the Opera Choir. I feel like they are the most talented group I’ve heard so far at this school. It definitely shows in there performance that they were tirelessly to put their program together. I was also proud to see the 12 students that got 4.0’s last semester. That was very encouraging and gave me something even bigger to work towards. All in all the Black History Convocation was a grand experience.

My response to this semesters convocation

This recent Black History month Convocation has definitely been a much more beneficial and altering experience than my first experience last semester. Black history month is an imperative time where recognition, thanks, and celebration are given to those who have changed history, and broke both racial and gender inequality barriers. From important activists such as Dr. Martin Luther King Junior and Malcolm X, to scientist George Washington Carver and first African American congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, all have made great contributions to our world and race and without the help and determination for change for the better of mankind and the people, such actions and rights would not have been awarded to people of color. Not only did the key note speakers interest me but the performance as well. As a Vocal Music Performance major, we sometimes have to perform for such functions as convocation, and this semester we performed two acts from our very own Dr. Danial Shore’s opera ‘Freedom Ride’. The entire purpose or plot if you will of freedom ride is a general stance and fight for inequality. Inhabitants in Jackson Mississippi are fighting for an end to segregation and in turn, officials (police) threaten to shoot and kill anyone brave enough to hop on the train to freedom. In both acts, the main purpose is to get thousands and thousands of people to join the freedom ride campaign in success to overcrowd the jails so that government officials have no other choice but to take action on the pending issue. At the end of the two acts all some of the people join this freedom ride in an effort to get their voices heard and so that change can come to all people of color. All in all the performance itself and the recognition that the opera has received since it was first composed, has driven me to stand up for everything and all things that I believe in. We should all at one point in our live whether good or bad, stand up for what’s right, despite what others tell us and their opinions.

Blog 6

The Black History Month Convocation was much different from what I expected and surprisingly, I learn something new about black history every year. I learned about the Freedom Riders, the Philadelphia incident, and the Mississippi incident during the civil rights movement. It was also interesting to learn that the Freedom Riders were to stop their travels in New Orleans, and because of the racist activist groups here, they were delayed in their arrival in making it to New Orleans. When Judge Lombard, our guest speaker, told us that Xavier University was involved in helping the Freedom Riders make their goal achievable, I thought that’s cool to know that our University was able to have such an effect on the civil rights movement. Also, discovering that some of the Freedom Riders stayed at the St. Michael’s Dorm for the time they were in New Orleans was another enlightenment that intrigued me. There are so many events that are not detailed in the history books that helped ensured equal rights for African Americans today. I do say that modestly because although things have changed substantially over the years, we, as African Americans, are still fighting a struggle on certain levels. Judge Lombard also discussed the Philadelphia, Mississippi murders of three co-workers who worked in the freedom houses were murdered by a racist activist group. Another interesting aspect was that it was nice to hear about these civil rights events from someone that actually experienced it. The live opera performance later in the Convocation dedicated to the Freedom Riders was a great performance by the Xavier Choir. Additionally, I think that it is awesome that Xavier University was the first historical black university to perform a full-scale live opera. The opera performance, in my opinion, went right along with Convocation’s story line and fit the mood of the situation. Especially the first part of the miniature performance of I Want a Law captured my attention. Finally, the recognition of the students that achieved a 4.0 grade point average was a great event as well. Giving those students recognition of their hard work was more than a pleasure to applaud them while they received their ropes. Also, seeing that their were students that achieved a 4.0 in pharmacy school inspired me to convince my roommate that she can make it to pharmacy school and stay there.

Black History Month Convocation

I must say that Black History Month Convocation was a delightful surprise. It was a drastic difference to than the first convocation that we had in a lot of major ways. To begin with, I did not feel as if this convocation was simply something that I just had to go to because it was required.

I have always been very interested in African American history so my interest was already peaked. I did not think the speaker would be as great as he would be. As a judge, I did not see why exactly he would have been picked for this convocation in particular, besides the fact that he went to Xavier Prep and he was African American. However, he was a phenomenal speaker, in my opinion. His humor kept my attention during his entire speech. When he spoke of the Freedom Riders, I was truly touched. His experiences did not seem preachy or unauthentic. He brought about great points  and he did every detail justice. It was quite inspiring to hear about how Xavier helped the cause during the civil rights movement. Hearing about the risks that Dr. Francis and Xavier as a whole took to ensure that these people were safe was awe-inspiring.

I had a wonderful time performing in this convocation as well. Seeing as I am a music major this semester, it was my first experience performing with the University Chorus. As a lover of opera, I feel that it is critical that Porgy and Bess is not the one and only opera that has a majority African American cast or is about the African American experience. When I heard that Dr. Shore had written an opera about the civil rights movement, I was ecstatic. This opera could definitely get more African Americans into the opera genre and the music that I have heard from this opera is touching. I believe this convocation was a success.

You Learn Something New Everyday

I really enjoyed the black history month ceremony in the convocation center. What I enjoyed most was the opera put on by Xavier’s choir because it enhanced my understanding of who the freedom riders were as well as what it meant to be a freedom rider. I learned that freedom riders were African-Americans who rode the bus, during racial segregation, and sat with whites challenging the racial segregation laws. Their purpose in their actions was to send a message opposing racial segregation and advocating equality. During the opera, you could see how the young lady’s voice and face was filled with fear and apprehension as she set off to ride the buses; nonetheless, she overcame her fear and anxiety to join the freedom riders in their movement. The voice of the chorus, along with their nonverbal expressions, allowed me to perceive the opera as if I too were sitting in on the meetings of the freedom riders. I could feel emotions of nervousness, motivation, anxiety, and hope throughout the performance. To be a part of the freedom riders movement, it meant sacrifice in hope of a brighter future and an equal society.

In addition to learning about who the freedom riders were and what it meant to be a part of the movement, I learned a few other things. First I learned that Dr. Norman Francis, the president of our university, partook in the movement by allowing members of the freedom riders to obtain shelter here at our university. Despite the threats and dangers associated with this risk, Dr. Francis still allowed the freedom riders to stay. His actions show just as much courage as those who actually actively engaged in the movement.

One thing said during the speech by the guest speaker that really stuck with me was something along the line of “those who didn’t do much civil rights activity benefit more from the actions of those who fought for the rights that we currently have”. I strongly agree with this statement because a lot of the time I feel as though our youth takes the privileges and opportunities available for granted. Essentially, the black history month in the convocation was a reminder of the struggle, sacrifice, and progress that has been made in the African-American community; I feel this reminder is essential because we, as African-Americans, often forget the struggle we have endured in America. With this reminder, we can appreciate more what we have.

Black History Month Convocation

The black history month convocation left me with mixed emotions. Some parts I thought were extremely boring while others left me wanting more. It also taught me many things I did not know. The part I found the most boring was the speaker. He was all over the place and it was hard to comprehend. It would have been more interesting if he elaborated more on what the freedom riders did and how Xavier played a very important role in it. Instead, he kept rambling and getting off topic, in my opinion. It was actually was funny though when he talked about Dr. Norman C. Francis from back in the day. I like hearing of how my superiors were in the past years , and I like knowing how people I know make such an influence on others. I really enjoyed that they honored all the kids who received a 4.0 GPA the first semester and gave them honor cords. It was a good tribute to show the students that hard work does pay off. Another interesting, but also not so interesting part was the performance given by the choir. The voices sounded great and you can tell that they really tried and worked hard to put on a good performance. The only bad thing was that it was hard to understand what they were saying at certain times, and that was kind of disappointing because I really enjoy things like that. I loved that it was written by a faculty member of Xavier. It shows that the school has not only excellent students, but an excellent staff. I also did not know that there was a Black National Anthem and I enjoyed hearing it. This by far was more interesting than the convocation we attended last year, and I hope I’ll be able to attend it the next few years I am here.

Black History Month Convocation

The Black History Month Convocation was very different than what was expected.  I expected the ceremony to be somewhat boring and seem like it lasted forever.  Surprisingly it wasn’t either of those two things.  The Black History Month Convocation was not also very interesting, but it was also really  insightful.  It brought attention to the aspects of the civil rights movement that were commonly passed over without being acknowledged.  The Freedom Riders were people I had actually never heard of.  The closest thing to them that I am familiar with is The Freedom Writers and that is mainly because of a Hollywood film produced not too long ago.  The guest speaker, Honorable Edwin A. Lombard, did a great job in educating the audience on The Freedom Riders and how they impacted history.  I am shocked that more people know so little about this amazing group of people and what they did.  Another reason I enjoyed Judge Lombard’s “speech” is because it feels like he had more of a conversation with the audience instead of just giving a speech.  By talking to the audience, Judge Lombard caught our attention and was able to keep it.  It made the audience’s job to listen much easier because it was a genuine attraction to what was being said.

All the accessories of the Black History Month Convocation were also very well put together.  They expressed the culture and history of the civil rights movement with the opera performance and the musical selections chosen by the orchestra.  I truly don’t think the Convocation could have gone any better than it did this past Tuesday.  Every aspect of it was well put together for the purpose of educating and informing the entire audience about The Freedom Riders and their input to help move The Civil Rights Movement.