On February 27, 2025, a Black History Month Showcase was held in the library. Warren Hills Business Teacher Mr. Hickerson and seniors Destinee Desources, Nia Cajuste, Alyssa Billups, Breanah Belotte and junior Ornella Tshibola gave the presentation.
The showcase introduce the audience to the history of African American Culture, the discrimination they have faced, trends, influential people who have made history and more.
“Working on the Black History Month Showcase was amazing. Having helped last year made planning easier, but I still learned new things about Black culture. Seeing people engage and show interest reminded me why we started this. It was so encouraging to see the audience dance with us and answer our questions, letting us know that they were as interested in learning what we had to say as we were to share” said senior Nia Cajuste.
They opened up the presentation by explaining what Black History Month is and where it begin; including other notable dates such as Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery and is celebrated on June 19th.
According to presenters, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were created to provide Black people more opportunities to receive higher education. Some HBCUs include Cheyney University which is located in Pennsylvania, Howard University which is located in Washington D.C., and Morehouse College which is located in Atlanta, Georgia.
Some influential Black athletes are Lebron James who has won four NBA championships; Kobe Bryant who is also an NBA champion and has won MVP awards. Notably, Sha’carri Richardson is an influential Black track star and olympic athlete. In the 2024 Olympic Games she won the gold medal after running the 4×100 and she won the silver in the 100m event.
A recent stand-out individual in the entertainment industry is Quinta Brunson, who stars in “Abbot Elementary” and was nominated for three Emmy Awards in one year. Other examples of programming within Black Cinema include “Blackish,” “Martin,” “Bad Boys” and more.
Influential people in the music industry include Beyonce and Ella Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald was the first Black woman to win a grammy. Beyonce has the most Grammy Awards, and she recently just won “Best Country Album” and “Album of the Year.”
Some Black cultural trends include rollers, braids, fros, bonnets, lip liners, acrylic nails and so much more.
To engage with the crowd, the presenters asked the audience a question, and when they answered the question correctly, they were able to go up and get a piece of candy.
“Overall I thought that the presentation was a fun and entertaining way to learn about the history of Black History Month” says senior Morgan Salmon.
Towards the end of the presentation, they talked about some styles of dancing which include step dancing, the cupid shuffle and majorette, which are all rooted in Black culture. They showed a video of people step dancing, and then they invited anyone in the crowd to get up and dance to the cupid shuffle. The audience had fun getting out of their seats and taking part in the content.
Through music, dance, discussion, and shared knowledge, the presenters created an engaging experience that honored the past while celebrating the present contributions of Black Americans. Events like this serve as an important reminder of the power of education, unity, and cultural appreciation within our school community.