How does a Black teenager define themselves?
Toronto high schoolers gave creative answers to the question at "Livin' In Colour," a performance showcase themed around Black History Month. Choreographed and written by Grade 12 students from the Etobicoke School of the Arts, the event featured singers, dancers, violinists, and poets who all used their artistic mediums to voice issues affecting their lives. Black gay excellence and Black love's transformative power were among just a few of the topics explored.
I define blackness as an art form, something that you cannot copy, something that has to come from individuality. Ashante Dacres
HuffPost Canada asked several of the student performers what Blackness meant to them. Their answers, as with their experiences, were as varied as their art. Eliana De Los Santos' poetry delves into the messages she received about her identity as an Afro-Latina. For Ashante Dacres, colourism is an issue she wants Black communities to be more honest about.
Watch the video above to learn more about their thoughts on Blackness.