Family Fun Day: Saturday, Feb. 26
Source/Author: Roderick Avery Fludd, Director of Diversity and Inclusion
February 24, 2022
All members of the Shorecrest community are invited to join our Black Student Union and our Families of African American Students affinity group on Saturday, February 26, 10am - 2pm for an outdoor Family Fun Day on campus to celebrate, recognize, support and embrace Black History Month. The February 26th event is our third SAGA (Shorecrest Affinity Group Alliance) day of the school year. It will be held in the Charger Commons Greenspace and feature food and games for the whole family. All are welcome and encouraged to attend.
Our February SAGA day aligns with the School’s observance of Black History Month, an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Though its roots trace back to the 1926 observance of “Negro History Week” founded by Carter G. Woodson, Black History Month has held its official designation by every U.S. president since 1976.
At Shorecrest, students and teachers celebrate Black History Month throughout the PK3-12 school in a variety of ways. For example, first graders in Mrs. Owen’s class learn about a different Black American each day during Morning Meeting, discussing their accomplishments and contributions to society. Mrs. Rebman’s third graders are working together to decorate their classroom door with the ABC’s of Black history.
In the Upper School, Ms. Updike’s English class has covered a unit over “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass,” followed by the works of Countee Cullen, Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, among others, in a Harlem Renaissance unit. Next they will transition to Zora Neale Hurston’s “Their Eyes Were Watching God” for an introduction to Modernism and the Great Depression. Similarly, Mrs. Elouej is organizing a read-in, wherein students read the works of Black authors for an entire school day, stopping only for a lunch break. The read-in is part of a national movement to celebrate African American books and authors.
Shorecrest is a community that not only acknowledges Black History Month, but also recognizes the contributions of African Americans throughout the school year. Our curriculum is intentionally inclusive of multiple perspectives, including those of Black authors, scientists, mathematicians, and other leaders. Throughout the month of February and beyond, as teachers are highlighting the accomplishments of great historical Black figures to our country, our students are exposed to ways they too can grow up to help build a country where everyone is appreciated for their creativity and passions.
