In looking forward to the celebration of Black History Month at James River, I asked the faculty to let me know what their plans were for their particular class(es). I was quite impressed not only with the number of activities occurring throughout the school but also with their developmentally appropriate depth and breadth.
For example, Betsy Rhodes, our librarian, shared a presentation called Google Slides Exhibition Hall: 28 Days of Epic Black History. Amber Freeman, our school counselor, also shared a presentation spotlighting the accomplishments of famous African American athletes. As I looked through the materials they shared, I was struck by the richness of them. There are portraits of courage in adversity. There are stories recalling troubling times we need to remember, so we can learn from them and form a better society.
Leigh Berkley is switching up the songs in her music classes to mostly songs by African American composers/performers to highlight their contributions to music. And Ashley Cecchetti is having her math classes watch the movie Hidden Figures. She also plans to decorate the hallway with famous black mathematicians and their contributions to the field. Meanwhile, middle school art classes will be focusing on the work of Kehinde Wiley, (Obama's portrait artist and the artist who just finished a statue on Monument Avenue in Richmond) Titus Kaphar, and Faith Ringgold in the coming weeks.
In English, the sixth grade will be doing a novel study of NightJohn and taking a deep dive into the history of slavery in the United States. The fifth grade will be reading Escape From Slavery, which looks at the story of Harriet Tubman's journey through the Underground Railroad. The seventh graders will read several nonfiction articles and historic writings related to the black community in Philadelphia during the yellow fever epidemic of 1793.
As we teach our children about character, about being scholars, leaders, and citizens -- the lessons found in our study of Black history amply show that tenacity and grit are necessary to make great changes. And they document how every great change starts with one person. What will our students change about our world as they grow older? I can hardly wait to see.