Black creativity took center stage on February 21 as AfLatAm, the Black Student Union (BSU), and the African Student Association (ASA) hosted Black People Got Talent. Students packed Susie’s to support a diverse range of acts, including music, dance, and comedy. As part of Black History Month celebrations, the showcase provided an opportunity for students to celebrate Black culture in a joyful and supportive environment.
Black People Got Talent was hosted by Maddie Redmond ’25 and Jaceil Britton ’25, who kept the energy high all night with their lighthearted humor, improvised bits, and even musical moments.
“Jaceil and I started prepping about a week before. We thought of our theme, which was ‘Try to Work Harder’, and picked a song to come out to. But as we tend to do, we wrote our rap minutes before the talent show started. We chose the beat and everything very quickly, which helped us get into that creative flow rather than planning too far in advance. Overall, it took about a week to plan everything” Redmond shared.
Over the years, Redmond and Britton have established themselves as a classic MC duo on campus. This was their second year hosting Black People Got Talent, and the pair returned to the stage eager to have a good time and help showcase the diverse talents of Black students.
Redmond continued, “It was great to get the crowd’s energy going. That’s my favorite part of being an MC [is] seeing how the crowd reacts and getting everybody involved. Any crowd interactions that night were really fun. The talent was amazing this year. The den was packed with so many people, and it was a great showing. I’m a little sad I won’t get to go to another one.”
Bailey Jean-Pierre ’26, a member of a singing group “Tall, Dark, and Handsome”, decided to step outside of his comfort zone, and participate in this celebration of Black community. The preparation process included frequent rehearsals in Falls Music Center.
“Honestly, we just thought it would be a fun experience. [Papa Paintsil ’26] called me two weeks ago and said, ‘Hey, there’s this one part I think you’d be good at. What do you think?’ I was interested and decided to see what it was about. We started practicing a little, and I liked the song and the rhythm, so we went for it.”
Jean-Pierre continued, “It went really well. There was a lot of talent and excitement. I do think more than eight people should participate. I know some talented people who didn’t sign up, but they should. This event should definitely continue in the coming years.”
In addition to the consistent theme of fun throughout the night, the event’s inclusion of cultural representation and appreciation did not go unnoticed by attendees. Audience member Mwaita Nyakujarah ‘27 specifically highlighted the group Amapiano Warriors.
“My favorite performance, I’m a little bit biased, was the Amapiano Warriors’ performance. They were a dance group including [Wambui Nyiha ‘25], [Rosie Juma ‘26], and [Tisha Nhuale ‘25] and they performed a series of amapiano moves. Amapiano is a type of music that was developed in South Africa, and it was really interesting to hear music from my home country presented to this American audience,” said Nyakujarah.
Nneka Ezeike ’26, board member of the ASA who helped plan various Black History Month Events, appreciated Black People Got Talent’s ability to bring the entire Andover community together.
“It was a great opportunity not just for the Black community to come together but for the whole school to appreciate Black talent in a way that isn’t necessarily official. It was a strong community-building experience with a focus on Black talent, which doesn’t happen often.” Ezeike said.
