Campus Celebrates Black Arts : History: A monthlong celebration will feature dance, drama, song on the Cal State Northridge campus.

Black arts and culture will be celebrated in a number of events planned by the Pan African Studies Department at Cal State Northridge and several student organizations to commemorate Black Studies Month.

The events include a program called “The Black Star Search,” a program sponsored from 7 to 9:30 tonight by Delta Sigma Theta, a CSUN black sorority.

Coordinator Lashawn Kindle said the event, fashioned after the popular television show “Star Search,” will include eight areas of competition: spokesman and spokeswoman, male and female vocalist, male and female dancer, dramatic reading and rap music performers.

Since this is the second such annual competition, last year’s champions will compete against this year’s challengers. Trophies will be awarded to the winners, who will be determined by a panel of judges including actor Bentley Evans of “Family Matters.”

In addition to the talent competition, the show will feature a tribute to black celebrities Lena Horne and Leontyne Price.

Tickets are $4. Part of the proceeds from the event will be donated to the Medeba Foundation, which provides scholarships, clothing and food for South African children, Kindle said.

In another program at 6 p.m. Sunday, the Pan African Dance Ensemble will present “Black Dance Odyssey--A State of Rhythm,” which will feature guest performers Yao Marshall, Sarah Abukutsa and Keith Hardy.

The program will show how the elements of African dance have been passed down through the ages and been incorporated into a variety of dance forms, said the dance ensemble’s president, Tish Crawford, who choreographed several numbers in the show.

Dances will include the lamba , the najanie , the samba, a modern ballet, a contemporary tap dance, a ‘40s dance hall number and a hip-hop selection danced to rap music.

In the lamba , an ancient African healing dance, “The priest and people of the village would dance to create energy to help heal the sick person,” Crawford explained.

The najanie is a traditional African social dance of celebration.

The samba, Crawford said, shows evidence of strong African roots, dating back to the time when black slaves were brought to South America. They brought with them their rich tradition of dance that became assimilated over time into the Afro-Cuban culture, she said.

The modern ballet will be performed to the popular gospel tune “Let Us Break Bread Together.”

Crawford said dance has always been an integral part of black culture and an outlet for the expression of blacks’ feelings. Within the dances, there is evidence of feelings of oppression and death, happiness and hope.

“Everyone can understand these feelings,” she said. “They come through the music, the rhythm and a basic beat. The dances can offer people an education, and show how black dances transcend through the decades.”

To add to the authenticity of the various dances, Crawford said, Afro-American drummers Derf Reklaw and Tony Martin will play the junjun and the djembe , drums from West Africa.

All of these dances, she said, exhibit traditional characteristics of African dance: strong arm and head movements, lots of hip action and isolated movements of the back, stomach, shoulders and rib cage.

The program will include the performance of two songs by popular Kenyan singer Abukutsa, who is also responsible for designing most of the costumes in the show, many of which are evocative of African culture.

Tickets for the dance program are $10 for non-students, $5 for students.

Another program of Black History Month will be held from 7 to 11 p.m. Feb. 24, when CSUN’s chapter of the black fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha presents “Ebony Entertainment Night.”

Trey Whitaker, chapter president, said the event will be “a showcase for the celebration of black culture and talent.”

The presentation will open with a fashion show of designs for men and women, followed by a performance by student comedian T.W. Williams, who was selected by audition.

“Ebony Entertainment Night” will also include monologues and readings of dramatic and poetic material with a decidedly black orientation. Also part of the evening will be performances by fraternity members Brian Miles, Ryan Williams, Phillip Cox and John Dokes, who will sing a cappella contemporary gospel music; The Crew, a group specializing in street dancing; Movement X, a rap group; and comedian-actor Lewis Dix as master of ceremonies.

Tickets are $13. Proceeds from the show will be donated to a variety of causes, Whitaker said, including the United Negro College Fund and Project Alpha, a teen-age contraception program aimed at young black males and sponsored by Alpha Phi Alpha.

“ ‘Ebony Entertainment Night’ is a positively charged show,” Whitaker said. “It fits right in with Black History Month -- a time to come together to enjoy each other’s company, a time to promote consciousness, awareness and unity.”

A primary goal of Black History Month is the elevation of self-esteem among blacks, James Dennis, associate professor of Pan African Studies, said.

“We remind all our people we do have a lot going for us in all areas of our endeavors. This is a time to build on it, perpetuate it and be proud of it,” he said.

But Dennis, who advises the university’s Pan African Council, said the programs can ultimately serve another purpose: “So we can create a better world.”

All the Black History Month events will be held at the Northridge Center on campus. Tickets are available at the door or by calling the Pan African Studies department at (818) 885-3311 or 885-3312.