'Icons and Legends' Perform During Commemorative Dinner

"Mark my words," said Debo Powell, Penn College's assistant director of student activities for diversity and cultural life, predicting the Soul Food Dinner will be an annual occasion. "In a few short years, we will fill the Field House."

For now, Wednesday's feast – the closing event of the campus' "Icons and Legends" observance of Black History Month – filled Penn's Inn with high-energy culture and home-style cuisine. The "Tribute to African American Entertainers" honored some of the biggest names in show business with a mix of gospel, comedy, song, dance and a short skit dismantling stereotypes.

The host and guest speaker was Shawn Edwards, co-founder of the African American Film Critic Association.
Photos by Whitnie-Rae Mays, student photographer (unless otherwise noted)