On the final Thursday of Black History Month, February 27, the Black Student Alliance (BSA) and the Music Department came together to put on EMU’s 1st Annual Jazz, Justice, and Jordans night.

The formal event began with the Jazz Ensemble performing their first set of the night, followed by food, drinks, and opening the floor for students to express themselves in celebration of Black History.

Two separate poems on Black Identity were presented, one by first-year Rin Akinotcho, the other by Junior Nia Boyd, before a short speech from BSA thanking everyone for the success of the event. 

When asked about how the event came to be, BSA member Mikayla Pettus said that, “We’ve done a bunch of different themes, and we just never had a jazz night, but we have a jazz band. So it just made sense to collaborate.”

During the Ensemble’s 2nd and final set, sophomore Elie Hoover joined to sing a cover of  “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” by Ella Fitzgerald. As the night quieted down, the photo booth opened along with the dance floor.

With Jazz, Justice, and Jordans being one of many events sprinkled throughout Black History Month, BSA specifically wanted a formal dress code. BSA member first-year Samyia Turner stated, “We figured it’d be fun to dress up and have a good night to dance and have fun with friends.”

Other BSA events featured during Black History Month were a book study on Revolutionary Suicide by Huey P. Newton, “Suite Sweets” where students were made Pound Cake and Bofrot aka Puff Puff, Family Game Night featuring Campus Activities Council(CAC), a Hair Appreciation Night where students could share stories and culture, and finally a Movie Night to watch The Six Triple Eight.