The NAACP at FSU Pays Tribute to the Harlem Renaissance

The Cotton Club during the Harlem Renaissance

    On Tuesday, November 13, 2012, Frostburg State University's National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) held a graceful event called, the Cotton Club: A Tribute to The Harlem Renaissance. This event took place in the Armah, located in FSU's Lane University Center and began promptly at 7 p.m. The doors opened at 6:50 p.m. When the guests arrived at the door, they had to get their name checked off along with getting their hands marked with a green "X." As you walked through the hosts of this event handed you an itinerary and you were seated at a table. In attendance were Frostburg State University students and members of the Greek fraternities including Kappa Alpha Psi, Alpha Phi Alpha, Iota Phi Theta, and Phi Beta Sigma, all dressed to impress! As you can see everyone came to have a good time and enjoy their evening!
    When you walked into the Armah, the lights were blue and dim. There were blue and yellow balloons on the floor, with nine tables spread across the room, a stage for performances and jazz playing in the background, the mood was set. In the back of the room were two tables; one for drinks and one for food. I asked junior Psychology and Sociology major, Aryn Brown 20, why she attended this event and she answered saying, "I wanted to get a feel of what the Harlem Renaissance was like and I wanted to enjoy a lovely evening with my friends." Brown came with an expectation to see what life was like during the Harlem Renaissance and she did. At 7:15 p.m., everyone in attendance was served dinner until 7:30 p.m.
    At 7:30 p.m., first up were theatrical readings from Loan Miller performing, Democracy by Langston Hughes, Crystal Nwahbuko performing, Negro Woman by Lewis Alexander, Jason Baccus performing, If We Must Die by Claude McKay, and Lauren Rich performing, Trees by Angelina W. Gremke. A vocal performance followed these theatrical readings by Kristen Miller, singing, Undecided by Ella Fitzgerald. Dana Harrison and Elisha Daniels performed a dance to Miss Celie's Blues from the film The Color Purple. Finally, Dana Harrison concluded this event with a tap dance performance to Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington's, It Don't Mean A Thing.
    Senior Psychology major and member of Iota Phi Theta, Dwayne Winslow 21 said, "I thought it was nice, the food was good, the entertainment was great, but I thought it could have been a little more inclusive," referring to the event. Winslow felt as if this event was segregated like it was in the '60s. When asked how he felt when the event was over, senior IT major and member of Iota Phi Theta, Indiana Addison 21 simply said, "It makes you feel like you are back in the day," and continued, "African Americans need to unite more." Hearing the music and poetry from the Harlem Renaissance era was definitely eye-opening to those in attendance.
    The NAACP at FSU brought the Harlem Renaissance to their students and provided them with a lovely, entertaining, and informative evening!



For more information about the NAACP and the Cotton Club, visit:

• http://www.facebook.com/groups/2201971459/
• http://www.1920s-fashion-and-music.com/Harlem-Renaissance-Cotton-Club.html