Black History Month is a time to recognize the contributions African Americans have made to society and the lasting impact of their achievements. It also serves as an opportunity for people to learn more about Black culture, history, and perspectives.
In South Windsor Public School, history classrooms take a step beyond the standard curriculum during Black History Month, engaging students in activities focused on Black history and achievements.
One of South Windsor High School’s most impactful celebrations is its annual Black History Month Fair, an event designed to educate and inspire students through interactive experiences.
The school’s Black Student Alliance (BSA) takes the lead in planning and organizing the fair, overseeing everything from logistics to execution. The club provides a space for students to learn, educate others about racial issues, and engage in meaningful conversations about solutions.
A tremendous amount of effort goes into making the event a success. Planning begins two months in advance, with members deciding on the fair’s theme and coordinating essential elements such as food, decorations, and guest speakers.
“It takes a lot of hard work and commitment,” a BSA member told The Prowl.
The theme for the fair this year was Black Diaspora, the 3 different types of culture that originated in Africa and was produced out of the triangle slave trade, African Americans, Afro Lantix, and the Africans in the Caribbean.
To kick off the fair the BSA club hosted a panel that consisted of students and successful people of African descent with different backgrounds, going along with the theme of Black Diaspora. They all answered questions about how their background led them to their career, and for students how their culture impacted their education.
One of the members on the panel was the South Windsor Public Schools Equity and Inclusion leader, Shawn Higgins. He talked about his experience as being a black man that immigrated from Jamaica, and how that has impacted him and his career.
One of the biggest successes that the fair has produced was student and teacher engagement Vice President Emoni Lee stated in an interview with The Prowl.
Lee talked about how just getting the entire South Windsor High School Community engaged in the fair and learning about the different types of cultures, and learning about there peers was a big accomplishment.
Club advisor April Davis, talked about how a big success of the fair was just seeing all the students of BSA’s work come together and create an event in which everyone can come and learn about the different cultures.
“ One of the biggest successes is seeing all the students come together and create an event for everyone,” Davis commented
As this is the BSA’s 3rd time putting on the fair, the club hopes that the South Windsor High School community is constantly being impacted, and the community is learning more about the cultures in BSA and in other clubs like Hispanic Heritage, Japanese Heritage, and more.
“Our community is full of a lot of identities, so not only are we black, there are lots of identities mixed into the BSA club and that is what we represent,” Lee said
As the South Windsor Community progresses into the month of march, the community will celebrate women’s history month with a fair organized by the club Unified for Underprivileged girls, and continuing to celebrate all the different identities in our community.
