Throughout the week of Feb. 7, the University of Georgia’s Black Theatrical Ensemble is hosting daily events dedicated to the analysis and celebration of Black culture in the entertainment and film industries.
BTE is a student organization focused on producing high-quality and diverse shows, plays, essays, poems and other literary works, according to the UGA Multicultural Services and Programs website. Their mission is to preserve Afro-centric theater and shed light on the Black experience through the work of African American writers as well as writers of other races.
BTE Week’s events include an in-depth video series on BTE’s work and purpose, a discussion on mental health and personal growth, a music collaboration with UGA’s Black Affairs Council to feature Black music and a Just Dance battle against UGA’s Pamoja Dance Company.
Nala McCamy, a junior theater major and the president of BTE, said the overarching theme of BTE Week is celebration. McCamy said while it is important to remember the Black people that struggled before her, remembering to take a step back and have fun is critical, too.
“I’m kind of sick of media that capitalizes off Black trauma, off the slavery and the Civil Rights Movement,” McCamy said. “I’m kind of over it. So [if] I can create a space where we can enjoy the things about our community that we actually enjoy — the music and dancing — and have a moment just for us to reconnect with ourselves, then that’s what I want to do.”
Waminja Cleaveland, a senior film and theater major and BTE’s co-director of social media, said every event throughout the week is open to both Black students and students of all races to encourage an open and vulnerable discussion with a variety of perspectives.
As an aspiring screenwriter, Cleaveland said BTE has given her hope that positive change is happening in media and film to include a wider range of diversity in terms of racial identity and ethnicity.
“You see the light at the end of the tunnel and want to create content that people around you can enjoy and relate to but also realize the beauty in that community,” Cleaveland said.
Although BTE Week takes place during Black History Month, Cleaveland said dedicating time to emphasize and commemorate work in the Black community should not be solely limited to the month of February. Instead, she hopes the month will not discourage people from choosing to highlight Black culture throughout the entire year.
Michelle Cook, the vice provost for diversity and inclusion and strategic university initiatives at UGA, wrote in an email that she believes organizations like BTE are critical to broadening the campus’ understanding and embracing of diversity.
“Black theater has had a significant and impactful influence on culture in the United States and around the world,” Cook said. “These organizations also provide educational engagement with the larger UGA community, as they explore the contributions, history and culture of diverse populations.”
McCamy said in her college experience, BTE has provided her with an organization targeted towards a specific group of people with an inclusive environment focused on learning and friendship.
“It’s friendship. It’s a good time. It’s a chance to have conversations in a safe space that you might not be able to have in other places and just to really connect with people that get you,” McCamy said.
More details for BTE Week's events can be found on BTE’s Instagram.
