Today we finish the official celebration of Black History Month. We proudly commemorate this special month, though we also endeavor always to weave a multidimensional, full, inclusive approach throughout our curriculum. Students and faculty/staff coordinated several events, during this week in particular.
In solidarity with the Black Lives Matter At School movement, the Black Students Association put together a weeklong program for this final week of the month to emphasize certain themes each day. One day honored Trans and Queer Black people; another emphasized Diversity and Globalism; yet another affirmed the concept of Unapologetically Black, and the week finished with a nod to Intergenerational Black Families and Black Villages. The BSA shared relevant resources for each day’s theme with the High School community.
Two special presentations were made available to students. This past Wednesday, Centre College welcomed Stacey Abrams for the keynote conversation for their Black History Month programming and we shared the link for that with all students. It was a deeply thought-provoking conversation and I shared my reflection on it with students in our Morning Meeting the following day. Click here if you would like to watch the recording. Then the BSA hosted its own event today on Black Experience in the Art World, featuring Jyreika Guest and Tez of 2Deep, who spoke with SFS students about their personal experiences as Black artists, as well as the role within the art world of Black artists and performers.
Finally, BSA student members and adult leaders took on the poem-reading duties (we always end our Morning Meetings with a poem) for the month. Yesterday, at the final Morning Meeting for Black History Month, school counselor TuNice Cole blew all of us away with her a cappella rendition of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come.”
It’s been a long
A long time comin’, but I know
A change gon’ come
Oh, yes it will.