Artistic expression has played an important role in the Black experience. These works of art have highlighted the ideas, feelings, and aspects uniquely rooted in Black culture and experience. Artists, specifically, have been able to voice these ideas and feelings through various forms of art and music. In order to highlight some of these impacts, I asked Black Andrews University students how they have been impacted by Black artists in their own experiences.
“Growing up, a very inspiring Black artist for me was J.Cole. His songs with his stories helped spread many messages and specifically, songs like ‘Snow on the Bluff’ spoke about Black struggles and the solutions to those struggles. Because of messages like this and so many more, I feel as though he should be celebrated.” - Amir Pena (junior, aviation)
“An artist who has impacted me is Ice Cube. Not only is he a phenomenal lyricist and philanthropist, but he never stayed stagnant in his striving to achieve better throughout his career. This has inspired me in how I want to be in my own life.” - Nathaniel Frederick (senior, computer science)
“An artist that inspires me is SZA. Her music has impacted me by getting me through tough times and she’s just iconic.” - Arleny Aquino (senior, global studies)
“I really like Soraia Ramos and her music. As someone from the same culture, her songs make me feel connected to my home country (Cape Verde). I feel like she impacts the way I relate to music and how I want to represent my culture.” - Ashley Daluz (junior, speech pathology)
“An artist who has impacted me is Celia Cruz. She’s an Afro-Latina salsa artist who paved the way for others like her during a time when being a person of color and being an immigrant was looked down upon.” - Keiry Zapata (junior, nursing)
“I appreciate Cynthia Erivo because I think that the things she has accomplished as a singer and actor are admirable. It’s always cool to see someone who looks like me achieve amazing things, especially in a realm that’s very special to me. It inspires me to do more with my own interests in music.” - Lydia Boateng-Sarpong (senior, speech pathology)
“As young as I can remember, one of the first Black artists that made an impact on my life as a musician was a gospel singer by the name of Fred Hammond. He had this brilliant way of taking some scriptures from the Bible and hymns and making them these masterful pieces of art. I was especially impacted by the way he utilized the feel of the drums and the bass while also building sweet harmonies and melodies over the pocket of the songs he wrote.” - Nathanael Gordon (senior, psychology)
Black impact is important to Andrews University, especially when it comes to embracing culture and creativity through the Black experience. Josh Callwood (junior, theology) shares this: “Music is an essential component of their lives and helps them tell stories. It’s a way for African Americans to feel better, express themselves, and figure out who they are. It's about you.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.