The empty seats in Foellinger Auditorium served as a sign of success for the African-American Homecoming concert Saturday night after the R&B; male quartet Once Chance entered the stage.

The mostly female audience raised from their seats and rushed to the stage screaming as quartet serenaded them with their “snap music” single “Look At Her” and prepared the fans for the featured artist of the evening, Avant.

The concert was just one of many events that happened this weekend as part of the annual African-American Homecoming at the University.

The 2006 African-American Homecoming committee was pleased at the end of Avant’s performance as they prepared for the last event that night, the party at CRCE.

“The concert exceeded my expectations,” Martha Wilkins, Illini Union Board African-American Homecoming committee chair, said. “This was an amazing weekend.”

African-American Homecoming was historically created as a way for blacks to celebrate Homecoming weekend, something that wasn’t always easy at a predominately white campus that failed to recognize black culture, Wilkins said.

Today, the events which included a pageant on Wednesday and ended with a fashion show, concert and party last weekend, African-American Homecoming continues to serve as reflection of bringing diversity to the University’s traditional Homecoming events, while still giving the campus a good time, said Ryan Johnson, the IUB area coordinator for African-American Homecoming.

Brittany Brandon, a freshman in LAS, said she liked the idea of African-American Homecoming. Before she applied to the University, she knew that blacks were underrepresented at the school and was worried about the lack of cultural activities available to her.

“It’s good that we are being recognized,” Brandon said as she waited for the concert to start. “(The weekend) was really nice and I enjoyed the pageant.”

Nabil Alam, senior in Business, said he came to the concert because he is a fan of both artists.

“It’s a good way for people to get together with people who might have not necessarily have gotten together without the events,” Alam said.

Johnson also said the events offered more for students to do at night, since the Homecoming parade and pep rally both take place during the day.

He said that some black students felt that the University Homecoming events weren’t geared towards them, so they created events where they could celebrate their own identity, while having fun and sharing it with the campus.

During the intermission of the fashion show, Wilkins said that goal was reached as she heard most of the audience instantly singing the words to the song, “I Think They Like Me.”

Just like the students sharing the words to the song, the Homecoming served as way to celebrate and share a common identity.

“This was a good weekend,” she said. “For those who didn’t come, they really missed out.”