Black History Month at Parkside
As February has drawn to a close, we are proud to share the different ways Black History Month has been celebrated at Parkside. Though we strive at Parkside to integrate recognition of and respect for all cultures year round, Black History Month is a time set aside for us to shine light on the contributions of Black Americans despite ongoing racism and oppression. True to Parkside’s approach to learning, the observance of Black History month varied by teacher and student interest while engaging all students with important concepts and information.
Our 3rd floor classes explored the picture book “Born on the Water” during their February assemblies. This book, created by the 1619 project, shares the story of a young girl who receives a family tree assignment in school but realizes she can only trace back three generations. She then hears from her grandmother that 400 years ago, in 1619, their ancestors were taken from their homeland in Africa and brought to America by European slave traders. She learns how the people said to be “born on the water” survived, ending with the evocative poem:
And the people planted dreams and hope,
willed themselves to keep
living, living.
And the people learned new words
for love
for friend
for family
for joy
for grow
for home.
Back in their classrooms, our youngest students continued to build an age-appropriate understanding of inclusion, tolerance and fairness through whole class read alouds, activities and discussions.
Our 4th and 5th floor students learned about many famous and influential Black Americans who were leaders in areas such as sports (Serena Williams, Jackie Robinson, Marshall “Major” Taylor), politics (Barack Obama, Thurgood Marshall, Kamala Harris, Constance B. Motley), science (Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Katherine Johnson, George Washington Carver), civil rights activism (Ruby Bridges, Rosa Parks, John Lewis) and the arts (Edmonia Lewis, Ulysses Kay, Beyonce). Projects included having students complete individual book reports, create quilt squares, work on posters in small groups, and write quick outlines and final paragraphs, all about chosen important figures in Black history. In one classroom students connected their Science unit about plants to the work of Tony Hillery, founder of Harlem Grown, who has created a network of community gardens in Harlem. Many classrooms made Black History part of their daily morning meeting with information shared about different Black achievers each day. Teachers also discussed important concepts such as activism, segregation, and prejudice with students, introducing these topics in a differentiated and developmentally appropriate way.
All students had the opportunity to discover new aspects of Black history and culture in Art and in Music class throughout Black History Month. In Art, Mr. Lonsdale worked with each class to produce unique and beautiful art pieces based on African culture. These pieces will be available for auction at the Spring Benefit on Tuesday, April 4. Mr. Lonsdale also read with every class the award-winning picture book Beautiful Shades of Brown: The Art of Laura Wheeler Waring which explores the life and art of this prominent African-American portrait artist of the Harlem Renaissance. In Music, the children learned about Jazz and the Blues – how these musical styles were creations of Black culture that still influence music today – and had the opportunity to listen to and create Jazz and Blues music of their own. Ms. Huskisson also shared a “Musician of the Week” each week and played various songs from Black artists to expose the children to new artists from different genres and backgrounds.
While there are certainly painful truths about our history and humanity embedded in the study of Black history in America, we found that our observance of Black History Month at Parkside celebrated and honored the many gifts and achievements that Black Americans have brought to us all.
