LBCC kicked off Black History Month with the city of Long Beach’s second ever Pan-African Flag raising and with a celebration that included drummers, a singing performance and a dance party at the end on Feb. 10.
The Pan-African flag-raising ceremony was the first event of the kickoff and took place at the flagpole between LAC’s T building and the nearby parking garage.
Trustee Uduak-Joe Ntuk spoke about the significance of the flag raising in his speech.
“We were the first,” said Ntuk. “Last year we raised the (Pan-African) flag as the first in the city of Long Beach to do it.”
Brianna Pinkerton, the event’s director and Administrative Assistant of Academic Success, Inclusion and Student Services at LBCC, described one of the purposes of the flag-raising ceremony.
“I see it as like a prelude to the kickoff, we start there and we gather, and it’s like a crowd grabber, because we want to make sure that folks are enjoying the program and being able to be in the culture,” Pinkerton said.
Right before the flag raising, Eric Becerra, director of Student Equity, introduced the “Drummers of Compton” who played as the flag climbed the flagpole.
The Drummers of Compton, Franklin Leonard, left, Christina Williams, middle, and Jahsyr Berry, right, fill up the room with powerful cadences, which received a standing ovation from the crowd, during the Black History Month Kickoff event on Feb. 10. (Paloma Maciel)
The drummers then led the crowd to room T-1200 where the event continued with food and festivities, such as a recitation of Maya Angelou’s “And Still I Rise” by student Ruby Denmian and dance tutorials.
Among the festivities was a live performance of Leon Russell’s song “A Song for You” that was sung by Stephanie Holden, a member of LBCC’s Lyrical Workers choir group.
LBCC student Stephanie Holden peacefully enjoys performing the song “A Song For You” by Leon Russell at the Black History Month Kickoff on Feb. 10. Holden is a part of an advanced vocal jazz group at LBCC named The Lyrical Workers. (Paloma Maciel)
“It was an honor, I felt liberated to even be a part of this whole event and when I was asked (to sing) I couldn’t believe that they asked me to do it. So, to represent the culture and to be asked to come by way of music, I was completely excited and ecstatic,” Holden said about her performance.
This year’s theme for the kickoff was “A Hundred Years of Joy: Celebrating Our History, Legacy and Power.”
Event director Jerome Hunt, who is also a professor at LBCC, gave insight into the chosen theme.
“This year’s the hundredth year anniversary of what is now Black History Month. It started out as Black History Week, and that’s where that hundred years comes from. We really wanted to talk about not just celebrating our history, but also the legacy, the struggle, the power, the resilience of the community. And that’s really what we’re really focused on for this year,” explained Hunt.
Vice President of Academic Affairs O. Lee Douglas had some closing words for the event.
“This celebration of joy reflects that as Black people we are not shaped by our tragedies, but that we’re shaped by our triumphs. That as a people we have been able to overcome so much and still maintain joy, still maintain that sense of community and love that we have. That has just been amazing,” Douglas said.
DJ Jamese Ferguson, middle, dances along with guests at the Black History Month Kickoff on Feb. 10 during the line dancing learning party. Ferguson and her sister Shakeema Prescott, who was in attendance, host line dance parties where Prescott teaches the audience as Ferguson DJs. (Paloma Maciel)
Candace Jones, middle, vice president of Adminstrative and Business Services at LBCC, claps along with the crowd during The Drummers of Compton’s energetic performance at the kickoff event for Black History Month on Feb. 10. This event featured live musical performances, a libation ceremony, speeches and an interactive line dancing learning session. (Paloma Maciel)
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