On Friday, April 4, 1980, a student talent show held in ATS featured talent from women students Frances Fernandez (presenting a welcome speech and acting as the mistress of ceremonies), Patience Bonner (performing a piano solo), Pamela Foster (performing a reading), Michelle Arter (presenting a dance solo) and Linda Fisher (performing a solo).
Guests invited to speak and perform were prominent African American males such as Joseph Washington, Raymond Jackson, Claude Brown, Benjamin Hooks, and Ossie Davis. Topics for their discussions included, "The Future of the Black Church in America," "The College Campus Phase of the Black Equality Struggle," "The Outlook on the 1980s for Black America and Role that Black Americans Will Play," and "An Afternoon of Black Culture." Soprano Gwendolyn Bradley also performed that week.
Sponsorship ad space for the 11th Annual Black Arts Festival was donated by members of both the Dickinson College community as well as the Carlisle and Philadelphia communities. One comment of encouragement read, "Brothers & Sisters of the Dark Mother land, go forth with pride to enlighten the people to our struggles of this land. With binding hearts Yours and Mine as one, go unrelenting. For with you the revolution has begun."