Black History Month Showcase: MPSH celebrates Black students’ talent
February 13, 2023
On Feb. 8, Miami Palmetto Senior High’s auditorium was completely decked out in art, color and decorations for Black History Month, all in preparation for a special performance: the Black History Month Showcase, hosted by the African Heritage Club.
“I am the one who decided to do the showcase, created it, made the script and invited different parts of the department to participate — and all the speeches and everything you saw, it was something I organized. I thought, like, Palmetto has never done anything interesting or sophisticated for Black History Month, so instead of complaining about it, I said, ‘Why don’t I just orchestrate it myself,’” MPSH junior and Student Council Student Involvement Chair Clayton Detant said.
The show involved a plethora of performances, including the Variations and the Chattonetes. An excerpt of Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic “I have a dream” speech was also recited; students gave a speech about the history of the month and performances featured many different forms of dance.
Backstage vibrated with nervousness and excitement; for many, this would be their performing debut.
“We work extremely hard. We had a coach every day after school from three to eight and blood, sweat and tears, but we got to this dance,” MPSH senior and member of Take5ive Treana Conley said.
Alongside Take5ive, there was a contemporary dancer and multiple hip-hop dancers, all of whom showcased their talent.
“I wanted to do something fun to educate the kids on the importance of Black History Month in a way that would stick with them. I felt like a big part of Black culture is dance,” Detant said.
Alongside the performances, those working the showcase made it a priority to speak about Black History and its importance.
“I definitely wanted to speak out about issues surrounding the Black community and to make more information known to peers in our school. And so people can be not only more educated but just appreciate [Black history],” MPSH senior and Vice President of African Heritage Club Aniyah Adderly-Cordy said.
Through the performances and the hosts, the Black History Showcase accomplished its goal of being educational and memorable for students.
“I just think that this is very important to me, because a lot of people do not know about Black history — my history. I feel like they need to get on that because it is very important and we came a long way. And now we are Black and proud,” Conley said.
