Each Monday in February, as students gather for Morning Meeting at Townsend Elementary School, facts about African-American history are shared by students dressed in costume, portraying an unsung hero.
Fifth-grade classmates Imani Oliver and Aliahya Bland shared their depictions of Sojourner Truth and Rosa Parks. Standing in the gym with an audience of students and teachers, each girl took turns reciting facts from memory.
Wearing a multi-colored crocheted blanket around her shoulders and a scarf on her head, Oliver spoke of Truth’s endurance and strength as a former slave, an abolitionist, an advocate of women’s rights and as a religious leader.
“I chose Sojourner Truth because I am interested in black history and slaves,” said Oliver. “Last year, I was Harriet Tubman. I like doing the research and learning about women who helped people through slavery.”
Bland followed Oliver at the microphone. With a brown shawl and a black scarf on her head, she channeled Parks after a long day at work, riding home on a public bus. Her refusal to give up her seat to a white man led to her arrest for violating segregation laws. Soon after, a boycott of the Montgomery bus system was organized and lasted for more than a year.
Bland explained why she chose Parks as her unsung hero.
“She did a big thing in life for us and she had to deal with the consequence,” Bland said. She related Parks’ action to the present day, saying that if Parks had not made the decision to stay in her seat, “our school could be either a black school or a white school.”
This year, Black History Month began at Townsend with an original poem written by Asueleni Deloney, a teacher’s assistant. The poem, “I Am Proud,” focuses on “the importance of being proud of who we are and being proud of the rich history of those who came before us,” explained Carrie Holt, instructional specialist.
A copy of the poem was given to each teacher to use it “as a way to encourage our students to express their own feelings about the sacrifices, struggles and triumphs of those who came before them through writing poems, journal responses and researching the people mentioned in the poem,” said Holt.
Townsend Elementary School will celebrate Black History Month with a living museum on February 28 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Students will portray African-Americans in history, education, sport, entertainment and more.