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A performer dances at the 'Culture Shock: Tournament of Champions at the University of Texas at Austin on Feb. 15, 2023. The event showcased talent through various performances from Black Students.

University students gathered last week to watch Black performers for this year’s Culture Shock, an annual celebration of Black culture and student talent.

The African-American Culture Committee held the event in the William C. Powers Auditorium on Wednesday evening, emceed by Jaden Williams, AACC president and chair, and Ophelia Brown, PR chair of the committee. Williams said events like these are important as they create spaces for Black talent to be recognized.

“A lot of these (Black) students are a part of the really small portion of the population and they otherwise wouldn’t be noticed or seen in the everyday student life,” said Williams, an international relations and global studies junior. “Most of us are some of the only Black students in our class, so just to have so much recognition for a lot of the talent they have — I think it would mean a lot to them.” 

The performance showcased original songs, group dance performances, instrumentalists and slam poetry, even inviting Huston-Tillotson University’s Afro Heist, an African-American dance group. All acts competed for four awards: best costume, most original (act), best performance and Shock Factor, an audience-voted award. 

“Every year we get a lot of different acts where I honestly am surprised because I know some of these people outside the talent show,” Williams said. “(So) when they come to me and say they want to play guitar or something, I’m (surprised) because they’ve never mentioned playing the guitar so it’s like getting to know another side of these people.” 

Williams and Brown engaged the audience by involving them during breaks, inviting audience members on stage during intermission to participate in a “finish the lyric” challenge and show off dance moves.

Myrakle Jenkins, a senior health and society major who attended Culture Shock, said this year’s showcase was an incredible experience and she enjoyed the constant audience entertainment during intermission and between performances. 

Front N’ Center, a University performing arts organization, walked away with two awards — best performance and Shock Factor. 

“I loved choreographing for Culture Shock,” said Jannah Collins, the vice president of Front N’ Center. “Being able to share the stage and my work on a stage is just the beginning.” 

She said watching the acts is fulfilling as she gets the chance to see different personalities and passions shine through. 

Williams and Brown said they have high hopes for Culture Shock in the future, wanting it to become a massive University event. 

“The Black community is so talented,” public relations sophomore Brown said. “Next year, the Hogg auditorium is supposed to be built, so I’m looking forward to bigger and better performances and more shock factor.”