With the African American Humanities class’ assembly wrapped up, its performers are looking back on the momentous occasion and the effort putting on and preparing for it.
For some, the highlight was being able to showcase what they have learned in class. “The thing I enjoyed the most,” said Mackenzie Russaw (‘25), “was being able to write my own poem and to actually share it with the school instead of just writing it and then turning it in as an assignment. I [also] enjoyed learning about the history and being able to help show [it] in skit form for the school, especially with the fashion show.”
The fashion show played a key role throughout the performance, with many performers showcasing outfits from different eras. Braylen Brown (‘25) embraced the Harlem Renaissance era, saying: “What I liked about putting on my performance is [when] we did our Harlem Renaissance [skit] where I got to dress up and be part of [the fashion show].”
Similarly, Sandro Masuoka (‘25) shared a similar experience: “I enjoyed trying on different clothes for the hip hop fashion show because I am a big fan of the nineties.”
In addition to the fashion show, many of the performers participated in other skits highlighting African American history and culture. “What I enjoyed about doing the presentation was I got to play guitar because I haven’t played guitar in a long time,” said Masuoka. “I was kinda nervous at first, [especially] the first presentation because it was out in front of a bunch of people,” said Masuoka, “[But] me and Angel really did well on the guitar.”
Moreover, the step skit was remembered fondly. “Step was fun, learning step, [and] helping come up with certain parts of the step and teaching [it],” said Russaw.
“I think as a class, we all got closer together [from] putting on the show,” said Jamarion McGowan (‘25).
Behind the scenes, “Being a part of the lights and the tech crew was fun and hard at the same time,” said McGowan. “Having to learn how to control the lights, all the transitions, changing the lighting for every scene of the show like for step, dance, all the different skits — that was pretty challenging. But in the end, I’m just glad it all worked out.”
