On April 11, Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center was home to FOREVER AND ALWAYS: A BLACK SERIES. The exhibit was the first of its kind, highlighting the Black student body at the University and bridging the gap between the community and diverse creative expression.
The exhibition was run by Matthew Clayton, senior in FAA. According to Clayton, the event stemmed from a last-minute event held by the Hip-Hop Collective in February to celebrate Black History Month. Inspired by that gathering, FOREVER AND ALWAYS was born.
The space was brimming with passion and care from artists and the works they displayed. While the lower level of BNAACC held performances by DJ Peekuhboo, STVE SØL and ZENtheRAPPER, just up the stairs, you could find artists displaying works of all different mediums. The variety of art styles and their ability to mesh together for the common goal of community and amplifying Black voices made for a captivating two-hour experience.
The exhibition itself is a testament to its goals, with the artists involved all having known and worked with each other in the past. When Clayton asked each performer to participate in the event, they were eager to get involved and share their messages. FOREVER AND ALWAYS allowed them a space to do so.
Stephen Bell, aka STVE SØL, is a rapper and graduate student studying management, and uses scenes like the exhibit to share a message of self-acceptance. Right now, his music aims to have a “feel-good vibe,” to make more positive and genuine content.
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Bell explains how events such as FOREVER AND ALWAYS hold a larger purpose than just being an art showcase.
“Black art is some of the most diverse and some of the most dynamic out there, and it’s like being a part of this space just helped me embrace more of my identity, and especially on campus too,” Bell said. “I feel like if we have more spaces or events where we can kind of showcase that, (we can) get people a lot more comfortable with just coming out of their shell.”
Danté Winslow, aka ZENtheRapper, is a University alum and a middle school educator. His work with children has allowed him to stay creative and authentically showcase his identity.
While both a writer and rapper, Winslow finds that rapping can serve as an idiom in youth culture. By bridging this gap, Winslow said it can “promote a sense of wonder, imagination and creativity.”
“It helps me connect to my culture,” Winslow said. “It helps me connect my ideas to Black people and to Black youth.”
Ju Young Jones uses the persona of DJ Peekuhboo to impress her audience and feel closer to culture. Her music showcases the importance of Black women and their impact across cultures.
“It’s important for us to have a safe space to dance and express ourselves,” Jones said.
While a student-run event allows for creative control and autonomy, it also raises questions about the University’s role in uplifting underrepresented communities
One of the other reasons Clayton started FOREVER AND ALWAYS was in response to the University’s lack of initiative in supporting the Black student population.
“The Black population makes up 14% of the Illinois population,” Clayton said. “Which is kind of crazy. At the University of Illinois, we only make up less than 5% of the student population.”
Despite the University’s promises, like the Project 500 initiative aimed at increasing Black student enrollment, Clayton says it has consistently fallen short.
Besides the shortcomings of Project 500, Clayton also points to recent budget cuts that have sparked concern across campus. In the face of uncertainty for programs that serve a bigger purpose than the University may realize, Clayton and Bell find that students are the ones who have to fill in the gaps.
“I don’t think the school does a great job of uplifting those voices,” Bell said. “I think it gives us the chance to do that ourselves. While it’s cool that we have the ability to apply and register as a student org, I think that there should be a lot more than just flyers that show Black History Month, you know, in the rest of the year.”
Clayton agrees with these sentiments, but also finds the work done by students incredibly important and necessary.
“It’s a heavy weight to carry, but it’s a heavy, if not heavier, weight to carry as a Black student in the conditions we are in now,” Clayton said. “A weight needs to be carried anyway because that’s the cards the system deals us. There’s a lot of people who want to do something with that weight. To me and the work that I do, it’s 100% better than not doing anything at all.”
For the University to hear and properly uplift the voices of the Black population on campus, Clayton said, “Getting more Black people on campus is damn near the answer.”
As a senior, Clayton is using this exhibition to make people think and be more aware of the arts on campus, as well as the issues that are impacting the creatives behind it.
Clayton wants art lovers to question, “Why am I only seeing this one wave of creativity and not anything different?”
With this being the first installation of FOREVER AND ALWAYS, and a second exhibit in May, its future beyond both these exhibitions is uncertain. However, Clayton is hopeful that the message embedded in FOREVER AND ALWAYS remains.
“Hopefully, the intention is not forgotten,” Clayton said. “Hopefully, there’s still people that are kind of asking questions … It’s ever-growing, building off itself. Maybe somebody will take it and turn it into something else.”
