On Friday, Feb. 5, the Black Student Christian Forum (BSCF) held Impact vespers at the Howard Performing Arts Center to ring in Black History Month. Theard Pierre (senior, theology), president of BSCF, welcomed the audience and introduced the theme, “Overcome.” He challenged us to think of ourselves–not just civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. or Rosa Parks–as overcomers.
Deandra Joseph, graduate student (speech-language pathology, audiology) sang a rendition of the Black national anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Lyrics such as, “Out from the gloomy past til now we stand at last…” portrayed the perseverance that overcoming requires. Cellist Jamison Moore’s (junior, music performance) moving instrumental version of “We Shall Overcome'' vibrated hope through the souls of many. Chase Wilder (sophomore, sociology, theology) recited a famous MLK speech, “We Shall Overcome” reminding us that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”
After the passionate sign language praise dance and the musical selections of the praise team, Claudia Allen, an alumna of Andrews University, delivered a message through a video. The title of her talk was “Rise Up.” She encouraged the audience to fight for black women and to remember all the black female activists that fought for black dreams. She also urged the black community to unite in their agenda to seek out justice, adding that black people of color should rise up and say, “for my people” just like Queen Esther did for the Jewish community in Persia. Isabella Koh (sophomore, English) said, “The theme and the speaker really advocated for the idea of uniting with those around us and pushing for positive change. The importance of hearing other people’s stories and experiences has helped to show me how important it is to both speak your own truth, as well as listen to other peoples’.”
Taznir Smalling (freshman, music) gained insight from the sermon, saying, “As black people we are not united towards the cause of getting freedom. We stick to our nationality, not realizing we are one race!” Isabella Rappette (sophomore, finance) shared, “I have always really appreciated the togetherness of the black community, and after attending Impact, I appreciate it even more. I love how much pride people take in their different cultures and that should be celebrated!”
BSCF’s start to Black History Month left an impact on many. To view a recording of the live stream, visit the Andrews University YouTube page.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.