A touch of glitz and glamour came to the Union Colonnade Wednesday night as part of the ongoing Black History Month celebration.
The second annual Mr. and Miss Imani Scholarship Pageant featured 10 contestants celebrating African culture and representing the future of African Americans.
The celebration is named for “imani,” the Swahili word for “faith,” which is pledged each year on the last day of Kwanzaa.
The boisterous crowd cheered and clapped loudly as contestants danced their way across the stage to the tunes of African music.
As the participants took part in casual wear, business wear and formal attire categories, large cheering sections yelled in support of friends on the stage.
The event also featured a selection by Sankofa poet Reinye Bridges titled “Evolution,” which drew strong reaction from the standing room-only crowd.
“We gotta break the cycle,” Bridges said. “We’ve already taken a stand, we are united … what are you scared of?”
Contestants also participated in an oral expression competition where they were asked about the status of their faith in light of current events.
Several participants said their faith in God was “unshakable,” but many said they had questions about America’s leaders.
Darius Lewis, an agriculture business senior, said while his personal faith was “very strong,” he continued to pray for the country’s leaders and hoped to one day have prayer in public schools.
Starvos Pierce, a graphic design junior, said his faith in God would always remain, but he expressed a lack of faith in the U.S. government and President Bush.
Mr. Imani 2003 Michael Stallworth, a mass communication senior, said he disapproved of the idea of war with Iraq.
“We need to look at options other than war right now,” Stallworth said. “We need to calm down and just believe in ourselves.”
Miss Imani 2003 Erin Wheeler, a kinesiology pre-med senior, said despite the possibility of war, her faith in God remains strong.
“My faith is what wakes me up every morning,” Wheeler said. “He will take care of his children.”
All contestants received a certificate of participation, while Stallworth and Wheeler received a $250 scholarship.