De Anza College held an open mic on Feb. 6 as part of the campus’s celebration of black history.

Several acts used satirical expressions of racism from the early 1990s, while others celebrated freedom and equality.

McTate Stroman, the artist in charge, made opening statements as the crowd settled in to their seats.

People of all ages and ethnicities signed up to speak their minds on various subjects including racism, inequality and pride.

The open mic resembled a variety show, showcasing anything from shameless self-promotion of services, to a broken-hearted man’s lamenting of first-world problems.

Some performances pertained to the subject of black history.

Others were examples of self-indulging poetry.

“I like it, because it gives everyone the chance to speak their minds and express their art,” said Alex Nguyen, audience member.

One performer named Keisha read poetry by her favorite black poet, Nikki Giovanni.

The audience was captivated by her delivery.

One performer named Mr. Sly took the stage and serenaded the audience.

His positive energy uplifted the audience, leaving the audience intrigued to hear more.

After the rap performances, a group of black women took over the event and advocated their feminist causes.

They said they put a lot of time and thought into their craft.

After everyone had the chance to put their two cents in, the audience systematically stood up and stacked their chairs in to the corners of the room for one last special surprise.

As soon as everyone cleared the floor, the audience and participants began dancing.

The open mic suddenly became a dance party.

Everyone was friendly and courteous to each other as they busted out their moves on the floor.

Expressing one’s thoughts and feelings in an open mic setting wasn’t limited to just reading a well-written piece of literature detailing the reader’s history and opinions on a particular subject.

This self-expression came in many forms, such as singing, slamming, rambling and even speechless dancing.