Students celebrate end of Black History Month
Photo by Tevin Stinson
Endia Beal, director of the Diggs Art Gallery on the campus of Winston-Salem State University, talks about famous African-American artists during the Black History celebration at Diggs-Latham Elementary School on Friday, Feb. 26.
By Tevin Stinson
The Chronicle
The students and faculty members at Diggs-Latham Elementary school wrapped up Black History Month in style last Friday afternoon.
During an assembly complete with dance performances, songs and renditions from honors band and orchestra students, the event was filled with fun and excitement for the students as well as the dozens of parents in attendance.
“Since we have such a large population of minority students, we felt it was important to do something special for Black History month,” said Amanda Gordon, chairperson of the Black History Committee.
The celebration was the culminating event for the school’s activities and events geared toward educating the students on the contributions of African-Americans to society. Throughout the entire month, teachers taught lessons about slavery, segregation, the Civil Rights Movement and the 1960s’ Sit-In movement.
Along with performances by the students and a number of teachers, director of the Diggs Art Gallery Endia Beal made a special guest appearance during the celebration. Beal discussed a number of famous African-American artists and the importance of preserving their work.
Beal said the majority of famous African-American artists produced art based on things they loved. She encouraged the students to figure out the thing they love the most and follow their dreams.
“When you get older and figure out what you want to be, it’s important that you include the things you love and also your freedom of expression.” she said. “As you move forward in the world, those things will become very important.”
Principal Donna Cannon said she is proud of what the school did during Black History Month to educate the students.
“This has been an incredible month of celebration and learning,” said Cannon. “I am proud to say that we are one of the few schools that takes the time to teach our students about history that is sometimes overlooked.”
