From fashion to poetry to music, art in America has been uniquely shaped by Black Americans. To highlight these contributions, this year’s Black history program focused on Black history through art. Students showcased fashion, music, art and literature that represented them.
“I’ve been in four Black history programs,” Kendalyn Jones (10). “I feel like Black history has been such an inspiring part of my life, and I feel like me going up there and saying that poem and not being fearful or being afraid about what other people are going to say about it gives me a chance to expand not only my knowledge on Black history, but also other people’s.”
Jones is currently taking honors African American History and was expected to participate, as the program related to their most recent unit about the power of resistance as it relates to slavery. However, any student could join the show.
“I’m kind of used to being on stage and projecting my voice,” Jones said. “It was actually kind of enlightening almost to see everyone react to the poem and tell me how they felt afterwards about the poem.”
Jones recited “We Wear the Mask” by Paul Laurence Dunbar. The poem explores themes of suffering and oppression in America. Surrounding Jones were students in white masks, representing the face Black people have had to put on to survive and meet societal expectations, despite their feelings post-abolition of slavery.
“It made me feel very honored for me to get up in front of the whole school and just show that side of Black history,” Jones said. “It’s not just all civil rights and slavery and segregation and racism. There’s so much more Black history, and I feel like that poem really showed another side of it.”
The program also included a fashion show displaying traditional African clothing. Kendall Bell (11) wore traditional Nigerian clothing to showcase the rich fashion history in Africa and America. Traditional Nigerian clothing usually includes bright fabrics, typically cotton or woven, adorned with patterns and embroidery.
“We gradually built up to the program,” Bell said. “The first day we were just working on our stance and posture, but then we actually started to walk on stage and got used to doing it in front of people. [When] we got on stage, people started getting nervous … This girl with me … was very hesitant to walk on stage, and she was nervous, so I supported her and helped her get on stage.”
Throughout history, Black culture has been influential. Shaping musical genres, including rock and roll, jazz and hip-hop, as well as literature, such as The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin and Not Without Laughter by Langston Hughes, American culture has been intertwined with the experiences of Black Americans.
“History in the Americas, specifically Black history, has such an emotional debt to it and historical debt to it, and I think it really needs to be studied more,” Jones said. “I feel like whenever we can, we should read up on it because black history, whether we like it or not, is American history.”