Showcasing social justice

Song, dance and poetry are just a few of the talents that will be on display during In the Mix, a performance-based tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that will take place Jan. 20 in Portland State’s Multicultural Center.

“In the Mix is a cultural showcase of different talents that our diverse student body holds,” said Jon Joiner, Multicultural Center coordinator. “The performances [will] exhibit messages of both social justice and peace, following the philosophies of Dr. King.”

The event will showcase a plethora of participants, ranging from high school students on up. It will consist of 15 different acts, from singers belting out their vocals to an eight-person dance crew busting their moves.

“It will be a montage of student talent, ranging from music to spoken word to poetry to dance, all used to capture the flavor of what we want to present as part of the MLK tribute week,” Joiner said.

When planning In the Mix, sophomore Nikki De Leon, vice president of Kaibigan—the Filipino-American student group putting on the show—wanted to put a unique spin on King’s powerful message.

“I want to take the social aspect of slam poetry and incorporate it with King’s message of ‘let’s bring change to the world,’” De Leon said. “There wasn’t really a tryout, but each participant had to tell me the message behind their chosen performances to ensure it fit in with the desired outcome of the production.”

This is the second year that In the Mix will appear as part of the MLK tribute week line-up. However, this year boasts more student participants than last year.

“This year the concepts are the same, but the producers are different,” Joiner said. “The MLK planning committee and Kaibigan…have encouraged more student participation, as opposed to last year’s half-student, half-staff [production].”

De Leon even invited a local high school dance crew to be part of the show.

“Kaibigan has some high school juniors and seniors who come to our events,” De Leon said. “I invited their dance group to be a part of In the Mix.”

During MLK week, there will be numerous events that examine serious topics in a more somber and conventional fashion. In the Mix will bring the week to an end in a way that inspires everyone to loosen up.

“In the Mix is a lighthearted culmination of the week,” Joiner said. “It was conceived to bring the week together as a finale. There are some serious subjects that are dealt with during the week, and In the Mix is a way to encourage everyone to laugh.”

Many participants will take mainstream music and dance and transform it into their own version, rich with culture.

“I will be singing a duet of Jason Mraz’s ‘Lucky’ using both the Spanish and English language,” said international studies major Valery Fierno.

“We want PSU students and the community to share their ideas about social justice,” junior Anthony B. Albright said. “We want to shed light on the issues facing our communities. This event is an attempt to reignite our spirits for social justice, equity and activism.”

Kaibigan is excited to be part of the university’s MLK tribute week. The group works on a variety of events throughout the year. In the Mix is their big event of winter term, and many of their members will be featured in the line-up.

“It’s going to be a night of inspiration,” Fierno said. “Everyone will walk away impacted.”

  “We want to make it clear that there are deep concerns that communities of color have and that these concerns often don’t get attention. We want to address these issues. The performances are aimed to empower those who want to do something positive in the community,” Albright said. “I want those students who think about social issues to know that they are not alone in this fight for social justice.”