One of the first decisions organizers made when planning the Black Extravaganza was to cater food from Fixins – a downtown Los Angeles soul food restaurant.

“The first thing we actually ever talked about when we talked about Black Extravaganza was, ‘Oh, we should get Fixins,’” said Aminah Hill, a third-year sociology student and community development intern for the Afrikan Diaspora Living Learning Community.

The Afrikan Diaspora LLC hosted its annual Black Extravaganza event Feb. 21 in the Covel Commons Grand Horizon Ballroom. The event featured performances from the Nigerian Student Association and East African Student Association dance teams, the Bruinettes, the Melanin Melodies and National Panhellenic Council organizations and opened with a speech about the founding of the event from faculty-in-residence D’Juan Farmer.

This year’s Black Extravaganza theme of “Back to Black: Black Culture Through Time” was an opposite to last year’s theme of Afrofuturism, Hill said.

“I hope it brings together community,” she said. “There’s a lot of us, but we’re all very scattered, so it’s kind of nice to have one space to see so many people who look like you and who enjoy the same things as you do.”

Farmer – an assistant professor in the department of molecular, cell and developmental biology – said he and 10 Black resident assistants on the Hill created the Black History Extravaganza in 2008 to bring together different organizations that were part of the African Diaspora. The event has since changed to become less organization-centered and more of a showcase of performances, he added.

“At that time, admissions for Black students had dropped a lot, and so there was a a feeling of scarcity there,” he said. “And so holistic admissions came in, and then a whole bunch of students, African American students, joined. We wanted to be able to create something that will allow them to come together and celebrate Black history.”

The NSA and EASA performed traditional dances, with the goal of students seeing their cultures and feeling like they were a part of the show, said Kekeli Gbewonyo, a fourth-year political science student and one of the RAs of the Afrikan Diaspora LLC in Rieber Hall.

Gbewonyo said she was inspired to become an RA for the LLC after living on the floor the previous year and seeing how a previous RA’s efforts affected her and other residents positively.

Gbewonyo added that she hopes attendees of the event walk away appreciating their peers’ talents and Black culture and remembering it during hard moments and times.

Jayha Buhs-Jackson, a first-year African American studies and public affairs student and resident of the Afrikan Diaspora LLC floor, said immersing herself in Black culture at UCLA has reminded her of the beauty of it.

“Growing up, I was taught to think of Black people as a more homogeneous population,” she said. “But experiencing at UCLA, my ancestors just remind me every day when I see all these organizations and things we do and our energy that we are a diverse and beautiful population.”

The event closed with performances such as strolling – an organized line movement that can include clapping, chanting and singing – by historically Black Greek life organizations.

Nia Wilson, a first-year pre-public affairs student, said Black History Month is important to celebrate because though many people may be aware of the struggles Black people have faced, they are less aware of other aspects of Black history and culture.

Wilson, who performed an original song called “Let You Know,” said Black Extravaganza gave her an opportunity to connect with other people who are in music, as someone who is not a music student herself. She said she started writing her own songs a year ago after singing in her church choir growing up.

“My favorite part of Black Extravaganza is … seeing everyone showcase their talent together and seeing what everyone’s capable of,” said Ifeoluwa Odugbola, a third-year biology student and the co-captain of the NSA dance team. “I also joined this club because I am Nigerian, and I love my culture, and I love the dance team, and I love everything about it.”

She added that events like Black Extravaganza help students get to know more about the NSA and connect with Nigerian culture, which is the main goal of the organization.

“It is a really incredible experience to be a minority and go to one of the number one public schools in America,” Gbewonyo said. “Knowing and feeling like you earned it and belong here is really important – and instilling that sense in my residents.”