http://digital.lib.buffalo.edu/upimage/VF_I18H_001.pdf

Media

Part of Black Explosion 'Rebirth' educates and entertains, March 9, 2020

Text: Black Explosion 'Rebirth' educates and entertains
serenading an audience member with a witha special appearance by rapper Sleepy
flute rendition of Juvenile's "Back That Hallow. The show had four fashion lines
and several performances, paying homage
Azz Up."
It was his specialty and like many others not only to the Black Panther Party, but
performing or showcasing their fashion, to black culture as well. Models displayed
the Black Student Union's annual event a couture ranging from streetwear from
designers _like Faceless, to formal African
was his platform.
from the designer Glenroy March.
wear
ExploBlack
M
annual
52nd
its
SPECTRU
BSU held
ALEXANDRA MOYEN
EDITOR
NEWS
SENIOR
Flute Fingers, formally known as An
. sion with this year's theme being "Re
birth;" a theme which highlighted the war "Notes" Overton, was just one of
Flute Fingers, a ·performer at Saturday's cultural significance of the Black Panther the night's showmen and has earned over
Black Explosion fashion show, approached Party. Roughly 600 UB students and com 15,000 followers on Instagram for his art
the stage on a hoverboard; playing Drake munity members attended the fashion istry. Overton plays his flute at weddings .
and Future's "Life is Good" on his flute.
show at the Marriott Hotel. Social me and parties with genres such as hip-hop,
Soon after, the performer wound up dia influencer Cleotrapa hosted the show soca and R&B.
"My performance was just a
little razzle dazzle of the flute, I
had my dancer Tyreke .with me
and we just came out and just
wanted to give like a little taste
of what we do," ·Overtone·said.
"I wanted to do some piano and
guitar, but I don't know if the
[audience] was ready for that."
Students had the opportunity
to show off their talent through
rap, poetry and dance through
out the night. Audience mem
bers were excited to see step
performances from UB's Delta
Sigma Theta sorority and other
Greek letters. Additionally, au
dience members praised UB's
step team, UBST, and its perfor
mance highlighting the unfair
treatment against black people
within the prison system.
In between performances, in
dependent designers displayed
their colorful and diverse designs.
March's pieces were each
from different collections. He
said his white outfits, which
were adorned with feathers like
a "swan," were from his White
THOMAS ATEHORTUA I THE SPECTRUM
Swan collection; while models
BSU's B LACK EXPLOSION

52nd-annual Black
Explosion shows
appreciation.for Black
Panther Party, highlights
student fashion and talent

3/9/20

STUDENT MODELING A JUMPSUIT FROM AQUAMAIA's LINE DURING

was performing with the Greek life com
munity.
''We're members of Delta Sigma Theta
lombia.
BSU President Florence Ayeni said put sorority, Incorporated, so joining all the
ting the event together was a "learning ex other 'Divine Nine' Greek organiza
perience" and a "journey." With the help tions and coming together to do a step
of SA and BSU staff, however, she said and stroll together was very powerful to
the experience had more "good times" show the whole community."
The Greek organization's performance
than bad. The journey paid off because
students eagerly swarmed around the seemed to be a fan favorite for many au
stage when rising New York rapper Sleepy dience membersbecause they said Greek
life with an "HBCU vibe" isn't as com
Hallow appeared.
''We had a certain budget that we want- mon on campus.
"Greek life also represents some
ed to allocate to artists and a lot of our
students just wanted someone local that source of unity within the African Amerthey actually listened to or kind of related ican community," Ayeni said. "I felt like
with more," Ayeni said. "So it was kind of that just really showed us what brotherhood and sisterhood look like within our
an easy selection."
and what unity looks like
community
scicomputer
junior
a
Branch,
Nelaje
ence and statistics major, said she thought within our community."
the show was "super dope" and liked how
Email: alexandra.moyen@ubspectrum.com
each performance showed not just Ameri Twitter: @AlexandraMoyen
can black culture but Carribean culture as
well. Although she liked each of the per
formances, her favorite performance was
from dance group Crossfire.
''I think Crossfire absolutely mur
dered it, like they gave you not only Afro
beats, but contemporary. They gave you
soul, they gave you majorettes from the
HBCU's, they gave you a little piece of
every[thing],"Branch said.
Dejah Luke, president of Crossfire and
senior psychology major, said the team
was inspired by other dancers, particularly
Beyonce, since it was "basically a Beyonce
tribute."
Sedahri Young, senior communication
major and a dancer for Crossfire, said
when coming up with a dance, the team
Wanted to give the audience an "HBCU
Homecoming vibe" and embody female
empowerment.
''We changed the game, women have
made a change over the years," Luke said.
"This was aboutthe Black Panther move
ment, the Renaissanceand we females had
come to show out."
Ugochinyere Ejiogu, senior_ biostatistics major and one of the performers, described the show as being the "epitome"
of "being black."She said her favorite part
BLACK EXPLOSION
FROM PA GE 1

wearing clothes from the Midnight .Rose
collection wore pieces dripped in red and
black. One model came out wearing a long
red evening gown with a thigh-high slit,
completed with a black tassel around her
waist. March then presented his Sankofa
line inspired by African tribal garb.
"Sankofa means looking back, so I used
African prints and then a little .tribal. You
see the details in the pants and the jackets,"
March said.
March said working with BSU's models
was an ."interesting". experience compared
to the models he works with in countries
such as France, Africa, Australia and CoSEE BLACK EXPLOSION
PAGE4

•.

STUDENTS MODEL CLOTHING FROM DESIGNER F ACELESS' CLOTHING LINE DURING BSU's

THOMAS ATEHORTUA

I THE SPECTRUM

RAPPER SLEEPY HALLOW

PERFORMING DURING BSU' s B LACK EXPLOSION

BLACK E XPLOSION