Black Student Union’s (BSU) first Night of Excellence was an intimate presentation of Black-owned businesses that inspired community and acceptance. Their second annual event introduced a dance and black-tie theme in an upgraded location, winning ASUP’s 2023-2024 Event of the Year.
This year, BSU is back and better than ever for their third annual Night of Excellence on Feb. 8. This celebration of Black culture, featuring Jamaican cuisine, dance, spoken word, fashion and musical performances, will be held on the Quiet Side of Commons. Doors open at 6:30 p.m and the event begins at 7:00 p.m.
Tickets are $8 for students and $10 for staff and the public until supplies last. Purchases can be made through BSU’s Instagram and Engage pages.
Preparation for the event is led by BSU’s student executive board, with help from advisers Sociology and Social Work Assistant Professor Anita Gooding and Communication and Media Assistant Professor Azeb Madebo. The night of performances will feature the BSU dance group with Afrobeat songs, singing from two UP students and a guest from a neighboring church choir, African prints and fashion shipped from Nigeria and gathered, spoken word recited by two members of the leadership board.
Also on the night’s agenda is a performance from the Lewis and Clark’s Cheer and Step Team. According to President Favour Maduagwu, BSU’s collaboration with the LC team is a unique chance to showcase this African-American percussive dance form.
“Step is using your limbs, like your hands and legs, to make sounds and movements,” Maduagwu said. “We wanted to bring it because we think that that's also part of our culture in America.”
Among plans for a fashion show and dance performances, singing and spoken word, BSU decided the theme for the night to be Juneteenth.
“It's mostly about expression,” Maduagwu said. “There's going to be a lot of colors, especially the Pan-African colors, which are red, yellow, green and black. We're going to have a lot of signs that say black lives matter and black history month. When we think of Juneteenth, we think of Black History Month. That's what we're trying to present this year.”
Now, with two years of this annual event under their belts, Event Coordinator Rachael Kariuki credits the growth of the event to more hands contributing to the planning and execution of the night.
“[The club] didn't really know our resources,” Kariuki said. “This year, we know who we're reaching out to based on the relationships that we had already built from last time. We're able to use that again this year and are really trying to get more people [involved].”
According to BSU Vice President Olivia Outley, the momentum gained from previous years of success allows the club to aim higher in its event planning.
“[At last year’s event], we went big, we made it very elegant, very fancy and very formal,” Outley said. “We raised a good amount of money for our club, and we're putting that back into our Black Excellence Night this year, which is going to be even bigger and better.”
For Maduagwu, the annual Black Excellence Night is a special chance to spotlight Black culture that you may not encounter much on UP’s campus or in the Portland area.
“I think [the event] helps other Black people like us just see and feel pride about their culture and where they come from,” Maduagwu said.
More information on Black Excellence Night can be found on BSU’s Instagram.
Kalena O’Connell is a News Reporter for The Beacon. She can be reached at oconnell27@up.edu
