Tuning in to honor Black female artists who shape the music industry
Black Girls Rock e-board members pose for a picture after hosting Queens of Rhythm: A Tribute to Black Female Music Icons Tuesday, Feb. 20 in Pearce Hall. The organization's foundations were inspired by Black Males Rock and members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. (CM-Life | Ella Miller)
As music played and a crowd of students began taking up seats in the lecture hall, members of Central Michigan University's registered student organization Black Girls Rock (BGR) danced to “Single Ladies,” “Buy U a Drank,” “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” songs starting their Queens of Rhythm Event.
Aaliyah Howard, the president of Black Girls Rock, collaborated with the Multicultural Academic Student Services (MASS) office and hosted their RSO’s first MAC-approved event Feb. 20 in Pearce 127.
Howard said the incentive for this event was a great way for everyone to learn more about Black culture, especially one that is dedicated to Black women.
“Black women had a big say and did so much in the musical industry,” Howard said. “I feel that this event is really to highlight not only the Black women in the music industry but also to highlight our organization and how we want to uplift women of color, especially because their voices often become unheard in a society that is predominantly white.”
Participants play a Kahoot during Queens of Rhythm: A Tribute to Black Female Music Icons Tuesday, Feb. 20 in Pearce Hall. The Kahoot asked trivia questions that were covered in the presentation. (CM-Life | Ella Miller)
BGR’s e-board discussed 12 Black female music artists, accomplishments and their music’s impact.
“We talk about Mary J. Blige, Erykah Badu, Nina Simone, Rihanna, just so many different prominent Black women that actually paved their way in history for other young artists to come after,” Howard said.
BGR also presented to the audience about Aretha Franklin, Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliott, Alicia Keys, Lisa Lopes, Beyoncé, Jennifer Hudson and Janelle Monáe. For example:
- Simone and Franklin used civil rights activism in their music
- Keys had co-founded Keep a Child Alive, a nonprofit organization
- Rihanna moved from Barbados to the United States to pursue music while creating her own makeup brand, Fenty Beauty
- Jennifer Hudson won a Tony Award as a producer for Best Musical, becoming an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony (EGOT) Awards winner
After the presentation, the audience engaged in a 20-question Kahoot quiz game for a chance to win prizes. About 148 players from the audience participated in the game.
Participants react to the correct answer on a Kahoot during Queens of Rhythm: A Tribute to Black Female Music Icons Tuesday, Feb. 20 in Pearce Hall. The Kahoot energized attendees as they competed for prizes. (CM-Life | Ella Miller)
“I really enjoyed how interactive the e-board was with the audience, it was a lot more interactive than I thought it was going to be,” Emily Gonzalez, a junior at CMU, said. “I loved it, and I think the audience really enjoyed it.”
Howard said her goal as president of BGR is to get a community together.
This event was a way to show people who don’t normally come to their events a different perspective of BGR and for people to learn and have fun through honoring Black women in the music industry, she said.
“There’s a lot of Black women who are very important in the music history and industry,” Gonzalez said. “They have accomplished a lot, and there’s not really that much light shed on them as there should be.”
