Black Diaspora dancers took over the University Student Union (USU) Plaza Del Sol Wednesday afternoon with multiple performances.
Theresa White, Africana studies chair and dance group coordinator, performed along with CSUN students.
The dancers performed a variety of popular music and invited their audience to dance with them in exchange for prices.
The newly Black Diaspora dance team was joined by dance instructor Jeffrey-Larosa Adams, who also happens to be White’s dance instructor.
“Adams has his own dance studio in Los Angeles so I brought him to dance here in honor of our opening of Black History Month,” White said.
During the performance, Adams assured the CSUN community that it was his first time performing with the Black Diaspora group, calling it an “impromptu performance.”
According to White, Black Diaspora refers to black descendants who have dispersed around the world, emphasizing that the dancers come from different cultures.
“We want everyone to appreciate the rich, cultural aesthetic and talent that the people from the Black Diaspora incapsulate,” said White when asked what the dance group wants to communicate with their energetic performance.
“Black Synergy,” this year’s Black History Month theme, refers to the stimulating collaborations and events that the Africana studies department is bringing to the CSUN community this month.
“We spearhead the celebration of Black History Month,” said White. According to White, Black Diaspora aims to remind the community of this month in an intellectual, artistic, and rhythmic way.
Before Black Diaspora’s performance, Dr. Cedric Hackett, an Africana studies assistant professor and Director of DuBois—Hamer Institute for Academic Achievement, opened Black History Month with a lecture at the USU Flintridge Room.
During the lecture, Hackett shared the origins of Black History Month explaining that this is its 91st celebration, previously known as Black History Week.
Hackett also read passages from his latest book, “Violence Against Black Bodies: An Intersectional Analysis of How Black Lives Continue to Matter,” targeting mass communication outlets on normalizing violence against the black community.
