Photo Essay: Nyumburu’s 2023 Juke Joint
The Nyumburu Cultural Center’s annual Juke Joint celebrated the spirit of homecoming week with singing, dancing, poetry and - most of all - Black Excellence!
Last night, Nyumburu put on its annual Juke Joint to highlight the talents and passions of students of color on campus. The Juke Joint was held in Stamp’s Grand Ballroom, where music was played by a DJ and staff members prepared for the audience’s arrival.
As the students and guests walked in, the Jukes Joint’s student hosts welcomed them in preparation for an entertaining night.
One of the performing spoken word poets, Rania Sue Bianca Bien Aime said that Juke Joint allows for her to create an impact on foreigners much like herself.
“I think a poem like the one I shared last night is most likely to leave an impact on a predominantly Black audience. This isn’t to say that it wouldn’t be valuable to a white audience; it’s just that poems about foreign struggle are more connected to students who have some connection to foreigners” said Bien Aime.
Caption: As the first performance of the night, The Honest Party set the tone for the rest of the evening with rapping and dancing.
Caption: UMD’s S.T.E.P.P strikes a pose, referencing Beyonce’s song Energy, where she put everybody on mute.
Caption: Yemi Sol gave a rap performance of one of his own songs that pumped up the crowd with one of his own songs.
Caption: The Maryland Gospel Choir took everyone to church with classic gospel songs and spirituals.
Caption: Spoken word poet, Jodi Aryee revealed her beautiful piece, dedicating words of gratitude to the amazing women in her life.
Caption: Spoken word poet, Ranis Sue Bianca Bien-Aime offered inspiring words in her poem for foreigners prevailing.
Caption: Young rapper BDX The Don gave his audience a jumping performance during the Juke Joint.
Caption: Joshua Griffin, Joshua Lee and Micah Ferguson put on a heart-warming jazz performance.
Caption: The university’s band dance team, The Star Stutters danced the night away as one of the performances at the Juke Joint.
Caption: Mason Minus received a mobile lightshow from the audience as he performed Usher’s famous song: You Got It Bad.