Los Angeles Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show

By Cameron Davis:

The Super Bowl LVI halftime show rocked Los Angeles on February 13, 2022 at So Fi Stadium in Inglewood California.

103.4 million viewers tuned in to watch the show which was headlined by So Cal’s very own Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar along with Mary J. Blige, and Eminem. Guests were also treated to special appearances by 50 Cent and Anderson Paak.

This historic half time performance was important because it was the first Super Bowl halftime show to fully feature Hip Hop music. More viewers tuned in to watch the halftime show than the actual game itself. The show has won 3 Emmy Awards.

Driving through Los Angeles on this Super Bowl Sunday afternoon you could definitely hear the “West Coast make some noise” as every bar and restaurant broadcast the game. Guests of all ages could be heard singing along to catchy classics like California Love. We witnessed heads bopping at multiple outdoor seating areas to the iconic keyboard riff of Still DRE. Folks rapped along with Snoop as he told us “he’s representing for the gangsters all across the world” as he’s “Still hitting them corners in the low lows.” And Dre reminded us all that he “Still rocks his khakis with a cuff and a crease because he’s still got love for the streets.”

The 90s old school hip hop era was a time before teens in my generation were even a thought.

This music lives on in Gen Z through YouTube, TikTok or your parents blasting these hip hop classics while driving through LA traffic. Ask your parents if they went to the Up in Smoke tour.

This monumental performance was an amazing experience if you were watching live at SoFi or at home in your living room. You could feel the brotherly love between Snoop and Dre as they kicked off the performance standing atop the impressive stage design on the field.

If you missed it definitely make sure to check out the performance on YouTube.

History of Black History Month

By Cameron Davis:

One month after ringing in the New Year, the month of February is dedicated to Black people - Black people who have faced centuries of oppression, Black people who have fought in every war for this country and Black people who also fought for the freedom we now have today. Black History Month, celebrated for almost 100 years, is a time for acknowledgement and appreciation of Black achievements and their central role in American History. But knowing the origins of Black History Month is just as important.

The history of Black History Month first started with Carter G. Woodson. Despite being a descendant of slaves, Woodson worked to obtain a Doctor of Philosophy in history from Harvard University and is known as the “Father of Black History”. According to the New York Times on Feb. 25, 2021, Woodson was passionate and dedicated to teaching about accomplishments of people of African descent. A quote from him found in The Journal of Negro History, the first scholarly journal that records achievements made by Black historical figures.

“If a race has no history, if it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated,” said Woodson in the article.

On Sep. 9, 1915, Woodson established the organization Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. Today, it remains better known as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) . On Feb. 7, 1926, Woodson initiated the first “Negro History Week” to raise awareness about important Black people throught history that had often been ignored. February was the chosen month for this week-long celebration as it was the month that other important historical figures such as Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglass were born. Lincoln’s birthday, on Feb. 12, and Douglass Day, on Feb. 14, were already celebrated, so Woodson thought of no better time than the second week of February to expand the celebration to become Negro History Week.

From the 1940s to the 1960s, there was a demand for more Black history education from Black college students, more so after Woodson died in 1950. Then, in 1969 at Kent State University, students and teachers worked to expand the celebration from one week to an entire month of Black History. In 1970, ASALH proposed the idea to the federal government and requested that the United States regard February as a month for official observance for African Americans who were overlooked although they contributed towards the nation’s history. Then, in 1976 President Gerald Ford gave homage to Black History Month and called for February to be designated as Black History Month.

The United Kingdom and Ireland also celebrate Black History Month but it is held during the month of October. And in 1987, as part of the African Jubilee Year, Black History Month was first celebrated in London.

A fact that might not be known by many is that every year since 1928, Black History Month has had a theme. The first-ever theme was Civilization: A World Achievement and past themes have been The Crisis in Black Education. This year’s theme is Black Health and Wellness, prioritizing the presence of Black people in the medical industry. The discriminatory treatment towards African American’s in the hospitals and the healthcare system in the United States is also a topic that will be adressed.

Make sure to check out some of these events and activities happening across Southern California this Black History Month.

- LACMA displays the African American Portraits Chronicles, which shows how Black people viewed themselves through their own eyes by creating self portraits.

- At the "Happiest Place on Earth" you can participate in a celebration called Soulfully only at Disneyland. This includes amazing food, music, and art that you can find around the park. In Downtown Disney, there are murals dedicated to Black History Month and soul food served at Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen.

- On February 26th at Brookside Park, there will be a free drive in movie screening that is family friendly. The first 100 cars will be provided with free individually wrapped snacks. The event will start at 5 PM with live music and end at 10 PM.

Nick Dong: Divine Immersion

By Amy Yang:

Divine Immersion: The Experiential Work of Nick Dong is now showing at the University of Southern California’s Pacific Asia Museum, from July 8 to October 3. Each art piece from Divine Immersion is a journey for self-evolution and has scientific and handmade elements implemented into them, such as movements, lights, and sound.

Nick Dong was born in Taipei, Taiwan and immigrated to America in 1999. He went to Tun-Hai University in Taiwan and received his Master of Fine Arts in metalsmithing and jewelry from University of Oregon. Nick’s art pieces mix spiritual inquiry, social healing, and many different forms of art media. Dong has taught at California College of the Arts in Oakland, Chu-Jai-Jao Specialty High School in Shanghai, Musée Tomo in Tokyo, Mart Tiller in Taipei, Gallery FLUX in San Francisco, and the University of Oregon in Eugene.

Five experiential works are a part of Divine Immersion: The Experiential Work of Nick Dong.

1. Divine Moments

Divine Moments is a series where he collaborated with composers to compose original soundtracks for each art piece. Then, with the help of engineers and levitating technology, Nick Dong’s sculptures performed a choreographed dance.

2. Immersion

Immersion is where visitors take place on one of the mats provided and pay attention to the absence of noise. It is a meditation experience, and the visitors get the chance to wind down.

3. Becoming Horizon

This art experience was inspired by how the universe was created. Sound and light in this kinetic sculpture are meant to be inspired by the Big Bang.

4. Heaven

This is a mirrored space where visitors let their fears and personal possessions go.

5. Mendsmith Project

This live-crafting social service project, from July 15 to July 25, was used to bring positivity to grief. Nick asks visitors who are recovering from a loss to bring two pieces of jewelry. One from themselves and one from their loved ones. The visitors will share their stories, and Nick will find the beauty and joy from that object and have the visitors embrace new possibilities.

Go and support Nick Dong and check out some of his amazing artistic experiences at Divine Immersion: The Experiential Work of Nick Dong.

Click on the link below to purchase tickets for Divine Immersion.

https://pacificasiamuseum.usc.edu/