UNITY: The Movement

Behind the scenes with show Producer, Imani Jenkins.

by Samantha Viola

The third annual UNITY: The Movement show was successfully produced on Wednesday, February 27th, in the theatre at Five Towns College by Junior Mass Communications major, Imani Jenkins. The three-hour show consisted of multiple acts across all different forms of art and expression to pay tribute to Black History Month.

For Jenkins and many of the UNITY performers, “It is a way for us to celebrate the artists that have paved the way for us in a positive way that let students express themselves in all forms of art,” the creator said.

Black History Month is celebrated by many different countries and cultures during the month of February and was first proposed in the United States in 1969 by Kent State University’s Black United Students Group. It is a way to remember important people of African American heritage and to celebrate the historical milestones that have been achieved by African Americans around the globe.

On the Five Towns College Campus, students gathered together for the show to support Jenkins and her team and to celebrate Black History Month through a way that uniquely fits the FTC Community; performance. Co-hosts Jayson Troy and Es Jean set the stage for a fun and lively gathering. The audience was inspired by dancers Honesty Madden, Destini Fell, Lanice Lebron and Theresa Colemen and wowed by talented performers including Kim Goodlook Seabrook, Jarred AllStar, Arahmas Brown, The Vibe, Trinity Wilson, Taliek Hill, Nicole Harewood, Danae Bardee Judith Musoki, and the Gospel Choir.

Troy said before the show, “I’m most excited for seeing the acts and musical performances and seeing how the audience feels about it and receives it. The energy gets so high and it’s everyone feeding off the energy of everyone else.”

Co-hosts Jayson Troy and Es Jeay

While the event was a success and enjoyed by students, College President David Cohen, faculty, and community members, the road to getting the event started was not always easy for a busy college student like Jenkins, “I struggled with finding people that were committed and had the time to help and participate.”

She went on to say that she not only focused on time management for her team and herself, but also met with different departments from the Five Towns College community to make sure she had enough rehearsal time for her acts. For Jenkins, “It’s all about seeing it come together, seeing people work as a herd, and seeing how the audience receives the event.”

While Imani Jenkins is the creator of this event, 2019 is her last year as the event’s Producer. It’s bittersweet but she feels excited to find a committed person or team to pass on the production’s reigns. Her advice to those students who will eventually take on this large, popular event and to students looking to have similar events on campus is, “Have patience. Understand that not everyone will be on board with your vision. Stay organized and make sure to have some level of professionalism.”

Photos by Rashika Williams