Dillard University’s Student Government Association hosted the annual Black Heritage Ball, which embraces African American culture, at Gallier Hall March 9, 2007.

The Black Heritage Ball is a spring time event which provides history and celebrates blacks and their achievements. This year’s theme explored the history of African-Americans in film over the past 100 years. The celebration started off with an introduction by Evan Anderson and Dominique Forbes. Kelvin Haynes also offered students an invitation to come up and give testimonies.

The presentation included a slide show with four different eras of African- Americans in film. The first era depicted images from The Minstrel Show and was titled “Evolution in 1949,” the second was titled, “Integration,” which showed actors, such as, Sydney Portier, Hattie McDaniels, Harry Belafonte, and Josephine Baker. The third period was “Black Power,” and showed clippings from movies, such as, Five Heartbeats, Color Purple and Harlem Nights. The last era was titled, “We’ve Come this Far,” and displayed pictures of Halle Berry, Denzel Washington Jennifer Hudson and Will Smith.

First time attendee, Veronica Tinsley, a sophomore social work and sociology major, said she enjoyed watching the presentation. “Everything was nice, even though it did not start on time,” Tinsley said.

Also in attendance for the first time, was Alaina Smith, a sophomore nursing major. “The presentation provided a lot of information about the past on black theatre,” Smith said. “Although the ball was advertised for a short amount of time it was elegant, informative and was great,” she continued.

Both students agreed that they will be in attendance next year. After the presentation was complete entertainers performed and sang. Following the performances was a procession in which everyone had the chance to mingle and dance to the sounds of the DJ and enjoy dinner.