Mississippi State University’s Men of Excellence and I.D.E.A.L. Woman will host the Talented 100 event on Feb. 27 in Dorman Hall auditorium.
Talented 100 is a free, talent showcase that features the skills of ten minority performers to close out Black History Month celebrations. Acts include singers, dancers, rappers and spoken word poets.
The event started over eight years ago at MSU. It was the students’ way to honor W.E.B Dubois’ book “The Talented Tenth,” written to analyze the talent in leadership of Black individuals.
Men of Excellence and I.D.E.A.L. Woman will lead the way, running the event with help from the MSU Student Association, Black Voices, Black Student Association and MSU’s NAACP chapter.
Men of Excellence is a student organization that brings Black men together through leadership.
I.D.E.A.L. Woman is an organization that provides a platform for minority women to be intelligent, dignified, elegant, ambitious leaders.
The two organizations have hosted many events together in the past, including the talent showcase, honoring Breast Cancer Awareness month, study sessions and game nights.
Jalen Wilson, a junior agricultural science major and president of Men of Excellence, said Talented 100’s return after COVID-19 excites him to be part of the showcase. 
“Sometimes, you see students during their class time, but you don’t see what they do as a hobby,” Wilson said. “I want them to show their talent and what they do outside of class as well as inside the classroom.”
Jaléa McCauley, a senior biochemistry major, is the president of I.D.E.A.L. Woman. She described Talented 100 as an outlet for students to express themselves to their peers.
“It’s up to us to uplift one another and to support one another, so I’m glad we’re able to have this platform and to be able to put other students out there,” McCauley said.
The leaders of both organizations held auditions to handpick the talent for their show. The participants they chose have an opportunity to win prizes for their performances. Some of the participants are members of the hosting organizations.
Breanna Spencer, a junior kinesiology major and member of I.D.E.A.L. Woman, plans to perform a “hip-hop majorette” piece, where she will do a hip-hop style dance with batons.
Spencer said she joined I.D.E.A.L. Woman to have a sisterhood of women like her. She said she plans to use the platform of Talented 100 to bring more Black performers together through dance.
Spencer said she has danced all her life. Most of her family dances, and she said her mother pushed her to join the hobby. Spencer said dancing helped boost her confidence and step out of her comfort zone, and she hopes to help others do the same.
“Just step out of your comfort zone, and maybe we can change to something that may impact your life and change your life forever,” Spencer said.
Men of Excellence member Jaden Cleveland, a junior marketing major, said he plans to perform “Pretty Wings” by rhythm and blues artist Maxwell. He said he plans to record his own background vocals prior to the event to liven up his performance.
Like Spencer, Cleveland has pursued his love of the arts throughout his life, and he grew up singing for others. He is part of the university’s choral ensembles, and he performed at other events highlighting the impact of Black culture.
Cleveland joined Men of Excellence to find a sense of belonging at Mississippi State University, a predominantly white institution (PWI) with 28% of students being persons of color. He said he sees a showcase of performing arts like Talented 100 as something part of a “bigger picture.”
“It just brings us all together, which we all need at this PWI, which is unity because it’s not that many of us here,” Cleveland said. “I think unity will be the big picture nowadays.”