Silver City, NM- The Center for Gender Equity hosted another Black Lives Matter event at the Fine Arts Center Theatre last night, full of activism and strong spirits in the face of social injustices that minorities not only in America, but globally, face because of the color of their skin.
Terrence Holtz, Hakim Bellamy, and Colin Diles were the emcees for the event. Bellamy and Diles traveled down to WNMU from Albuquerque, and they entertained the crowd with their empowering songs, speaking on both racism and the pride that comes with being who you are.
The lineup for the talent showcase was full of strong and powerful words from the many poets that spoke their truths, plus some musical additions as well. The judges were Isaac Brundage, Dr. Lisa Kuecker, Myisha Coston, JJ Wilson, and Dr. Shawn White.
For the first act, there was an electrifying presence in “El Machete” Lopez, who wrote and performed a poem about racism within local areas and how change starts where you live.
Next was Brandon Woods speaking his mind on the racism he’s experienced personally, and how we cannot waste our lives not preparing for the next generations to come.
Six year old Bailor Miranda and her uncle Fabian gave the crowd a very cute rendition of “Twinkle Twinkle LIttle Star.”
Then came out Jesus Garcia with an original rap entitled, “Hombre Malo” that had the entire crowd cheering the whole way through with his biting words about the country’s current political situation.
Isaac Brundage went up on stage and gave his take on the whole movement of Black Lives Matter and its impact. He explained that even though racial inequality is not a new thing in our country, he encouraged all students to, “Educate yourself, challenge yourself to get involved, and make a difference.”
Nelson Williams came out with an original poem declaring loud and proud that “Black Lives Matter.”
Then came a lively performance from the duo of Buddy & Jupiter Rose playing two original songs, one entitled, “Nina,” about Nina Simone, and the second song titled, “Seeing New Mexico Through Alejandro’s Eyes.”
Jazmin Hernandez went up on stage and sang an emotional rendition of “My Immortal” by Evanescence, followed by Miguel Gutierrez reciting his poem, “We the People”that described how there are claims that we are all united, when that is not the reality.
Dezmond Wheeler, with the assistance of Jazmin Hernandez on stage as “Miss America,” provided the background for his poem aptly titled, “Miss America.” Dezmond’s poem gave light to what Miss America was really all about, and what she was planning on doing in the name of justice.
Lastly, Diane Hart closed the show with a short, but sweet reading of her original poem, “We Are Equal.”
While all of the performers passionately spoke out on racial issues and showcased their original talents and creativity, there could be only be a few winners. Third place went to Machete Lopez, while Dezmond Wheeler took second, and the grand prize of $150 went to Jesus Garcia.
The Center for Gender Equity held yet another successful Black Lives Matter event, and further opened the conversation for what this movement stands for and what students at WNMU can offer to the narrative.
To get a t-shirt from the event you can visit The Center for Gender Equity or email them at thecenter@wnmu.edu
