Essence of Heritage, the annual convocation put on by Lakeland’s Black Student Union (BSU), took place on Saturday, Feb. 27.

The event is held in an effort to inform and entertain the Lakeland community with the heroics and art pieces created by African Americans of the past, while appreciating the present and looking towards the future.

The show was introduced by the president of BSU, Serina Jones, and President of the Beta Fraternity, Airiss Hargrow, followed by a variety of performances.

Senior graphic arts major Marvin Warfield, Jr. performed the black national anthem “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” accompanied by business major Malcolm Blakley, who played the saxophone, followed by poetry from freshmen Cedric Logan and Tyra Peterson.

The pieces of poetry touched on what it meant to be black, even questioning God on why he made them black.  

After a dance performance from Unities, Blakley returned to the stage alongside senior Josh Guy to perform the song “Love,” by R&B artist Musiq Soulchild. A slideshow played behind them, advertising the love of one another as a people, and getting rid of discrimination and hate based on things we cannot change.

After intermission, the keynote speaker and alumnus of Lakeland College, James C. Hayes, took the stage and got the crowd ready for his speech.  

Hayes, CEO of Run the Race Performing Arts Ministries, makes it his duty to travel around the world and interact with people, training them in areas such as leadership and fellowship. The first minutes of his speech involved him splitting the crowd in two and asking each side to follow a rhythm of claps set by him.

Multiple times he had each side do the same patterned of claps, and then decided to bring them together as one. He then asked the crowd if they could tell any difference about anyone else around them when performing the pattern together, in which the crowd responded no.

This demonstrated how strong we are together as a people when we work together, and not separated like before.

Hayes then went to speak on how purpose is not a destination, but the journey. Sometimes we serve our purpose a little early, whether it be for ourselves, or other people.

Following Hayes were awards for African American students who have excelled academically, as well as an award for Paul Temme, a Lakeland custodian.

To end the show on an energetic note, the brothers of the Beta Sigma Omega fraternity stepped and gave the crowd a boost in reactions, with the seniors of the fraternity giving their final farewells.

For more information about Essence of Heritage, contact a member of the Black Student Union.