“What Is Black Love?”: A Collaborative HBCU Class Performance

This performance on Black love is framed by Xavier University of Louisiana faculty, Dr. Ayshia Mackie-Stephenson, and undergraduate students who took Introduction to Performance Studies. Young Black people are choosing Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) because they want a learning environment with Black people and they want to be away from the dangers of white supremacy. An HBCU is a place where Black people can be themselves and push each other to thrive and succeed. However, to resist centuries of White supremacy tactics of divide and conquer, Black love needs to be an intentional practice. I asked my students what Black love is and they share their thoughts in this performance.