Academy of Hope (AoH) celebrated Black History Month through a series of events that engaged learners and staff in the rich history, culture, and societal impact of the Black community.
Read more about how we celebrated:
Express Your Culture Day
The month kicked off with a celebration of Caribbean culture featuring Steelpanist Dr. Lennard Jack. Dr. Jack discussed the history and elements of the steel drum before performing a variety of musical selections. Learners and staff sang and danced along, and enjoyed the event with a catered Caribbean lunch.
Fashion Show
In the Black History Month Fashion Show, learners and staff modeled a variety of styles and traditional clothes worn by different African American communities. The show consisted of three sections, the final one dedicated to the Black Panther Party during the Civil Rights Movement. During this section, the participants discussed the impacts of the Black Panther Party and the importance of advocacy against the systemic barriers that remain in our society.
Time’s Undoing
Guest speaker and author Cheryl Head presented her novel, Time’s Undoing. The novel dives into a young Black journalist’s search for answers in the unsolved murder of her great-grandfather in segregated Birmingham, Alabama, decades ago— inspired by the author’s own family history. Learners and staff had the opportunity to ask Ms. Head thought-provoking questions about the novel and her life, facilitating deeper discussion.
Field Trip to Frederick Douglass National Historic Site
The month was wrapped up with a visit to the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site. There, they toured Cedar Hill, the name of the abolitionist’s home and estate. Inside the home, learners and staff discovered more about Douglass’s legacy and the preservation of the home, including the thousands of original objects that inhabit it.
Summary
The events not only promoted everlasting learning and self-expression, but were a direct reflection of AoH’s mission and CARES DEI Commitments. We are committed to advancing racial equity as both a process and an outcome. As a process, we commit to applying an equity lens to prioritize those who have been historically and systematically marginalized. By doing so, our outcome is an equitable community where our stakeholders are well-equipped to address the systems of unfairness and inequity.
Happy Black History Month!