In celebration of Black History Month, California Lutheran University Black Student Union and the Center for Cultural Engagement and Inclusion collaborated to host Soul Fest in Kingsmen Park on Friday, Feb. 21. The invited the Cal Lutheran community together for an evening of music, surprise performances, and food.
“It’s just a festivity of celebrating Black excellence, celebrating the Black soul, celebrating just everything that has to do with Blackness. It’s just a night where a lot of the Black community can just come outside and have fun and see each other,” said Onyinyechi Opara, president of the BSU.
Attendees were welcomed with a free entree ticket, which provided a choice at one of two local Black-owned restaurants: Creole Kings and It’s In The Sauce BBQ. All participants also received an additional dessert ticket for Jimbo’s Funnel Cakes.
After waiting in line at the food stands, attendees made their way to the seating area surrounding a dance floor and stage. The tables, accented in emerald and gold, matched this year’s theme of the 1978 musical, “The Wiz.” The film is an all-Black adaptation of “The Wizard of Oz.”
Opara says the BSU cabinet decided on “The Wiz” theme following the popularity of the “Wicked” film late last year.
“We wanted to see if we could pick something that’s popular, but also make it Black, like, make it Black-community-centered,” Opara said. “We committed to ‘The Wiz,’ that shows Black excellence in a very, very popular film and musical and play.”
Opara greeted the crowd with a speech and revealed the two surprise performers of the night, students Makayla Franks and Brennan Martin. Co-Vice President Esther Lazarre said that showcasing student talent at Soul Fest was a priority of the BSU.
“These are very intelligent, like, bright, young people that go to this school,” Lazarre said. “We have the platform, we’re going to encourage them, and we’re going to put them on stage.”
Franks took the dance floor first, inviting audience members to join her in performing “Ease On Down the Road” from “The Wiz.” She taught the group how to perform the “soul train,” a popular group dance from the Motown music era, which she says originated from her hometown of Detroit in the 1950s.
“If I’m going to do this, it’s gotta be big, like, I need to represent my city,” Franks said. “I was like, ‘Why not do a soul train?’ It fits right in, and like, I just wanted to envision, like, show, like, anybody can dance.”
Franks said that educating her generation on this historical piece of Black history was very meaningful to her, and she is grateful for those who joined her on stage.
“I really appreciate the Soul Fest because, not gonna lie, me coming from Michigan, like, literally the other side of the country, the Soul Fest made me feel like home,” Franks said.
It’s In The Sauce BBQ Owner Wayne Stevens said the students’ willingness to learn the “soul train” is an example of the Cal Lutheran community’s respect for Black history. Stevens said this has stuck with him throughout his years of catering at Cal Lutheran.
“We get out there and cook and barbecue, and that’s what Soul Fest means to us,” Stevens said. “It’s friendly, you know, no matter who’s out there, everybody is friendly.”
Sashay Kingdom, the new co-owner of Creole Kings restaurant at The Oaks mall, also said the nostalgic, fun atmosphere the performances provided stuck out to her as a first-time caterer at Cal Lutheran.
“I used to be a college student at one point in my life, not that I’m old, but you realize, like, wow, time’s going by so fast. It’s beautiful to just be around the young and vibrant,” Kingdom said.
Martin, known by his stage name “Breeezy5,” took the stage next to perform his original song, “For Real.” The music production major quickly invited the crowd to gather around the stage. Martin said he was glad that attendees were able to engage with his performance.
“The reason I chose to specifically perform that one is because it’s a very catchy song and it’s not too complex in the lyrics, … so when I’m presenting it to an audience, it’s easy for people to follow along,” Martin said.
The night concluded with groups visiting the Soul Fest-themed photo booth, dancing to music, and watching a third impromptu performance from student N’dia Battle, singing Beyoncé’s “Halo” as attendees held up their flashlights in support.
Overall, Opara says she is grateful for the positive feedback the event has received and will miss the BSU community following her graduation in May.
“I’m very, very happy about the turnout, and I honestly didn’t think that many people would show up, only because I feel like the Black community on campus is not as much as it was before,” Opara said. “I’m also very bittersweet because it’s such a beautiful time, and this is how I love to celebrate Black history.”
