On Thursday March 12, several performing arts groups joined together to put on a Black History Month Convocation. The month’s theme at LN has been “One voice can make a difference.”

The program included performances from the LT Winter Percussion ensemble, an LN dance class, Jazz Band 1, Chamber Choir, and gospel choir.

As part of the ceremony, junior Noah Nordman read a spoken word poem about Madame C.J. Walker to his classmates. Preparation for this role began about a week before the convocation took place. Nordman explains the purpose of the program in his eyes.

“If you are asking me personally, it was an opportunity to recognize our past and express our feelings to one another,” Nordman said.

The convocation was concluded by the Sounds of Praise’s performance of James Weldon Johnson’s “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” This song was originally written as a poem used to introduce Booker T. Washington as a school’s honored guest in 1900. Soon, music was added. In 1919, the NAACP referred to the song as the “Negro National Anthem” because of its strong message of liberation.

Nordman feels that he learned quite a bit from his participation in the Black History Month convocation.

“I learned to trust myself more, and learned to be more confident in what I do,” Nordman said.

Teachers were given the option to take their R6 classes to the convocation, and Nordman says both the turnout and the performances were great.

“There was so much energy in the auditorium,” said Nordman. “A lot of my fellow Wildcats put forth a lot of effort into doing what they did.”