Schools celebrate Black History Month after delays

Events scheduled to observe African American History month have been extended into March after winter weather forced some programs to be rescheduled, according to Butler County organizers.

Poplar Bluff Junior High School officials changed the virtual assembly “Celebrate Black History Month: The Black American Family” from Feb. 26, to Friday, March 5.

PBJH Principal Candace Warren explained, “I have had to push our virtual assembly and banners due to being out for so long. I hated to do it, but we needed more time. Everything is still set and we will also post that virtual assembly on our social media pages.”

According to Warren, the PBJH celebration “will be on a club day schedule and students will watch the virtual assembly in their homeroom. The video will include the choir, pom dancers and some African-American community leaders who will send in short videos talking about topics related to the theme. The entire virtual assembly will be approximately 15-25 minutes.”

Each banner/mural will be based on the building theme, which can include identity, representation, diversity or other topics.

Also included in the virtual performance, the choir will sing the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” Warren said.

Lessons during the month in each department will incorporate students participating in Black History Month by developing lessons that focus on exposing students to black history.

Math incorporated the story from “Hidden Figures” into a math unit. They also studied some inventors whose work applies to mathematics.

Eighth grade English classes incorporated poetry by black authors into their unit and seventh grade wrote an essay on how the Civil Rights movement impacted America and reading “The Watsons Go to Birmingham.”

Other topics were lessons on leadership in careers, presentations of Black American leaders and contemporary issues in perception, stereotypes and racism that touches on implicit racism and the Black Lives Matter movement.

Neelyville Schools

Neelyville R-IV celebrated African-American History Month with one activity, including an interactive bulletin board located in the library where all students in grades 3-12 can participate, said Traci Reinbott.

Reinbott is a teacher in the Neelyville English language arts department.

The event was ongoing through February.

While Warren elected to delay the junior high program, the Wheatley Succeeding in School tutoring program canceled its Black History program due to COVID -19 guidelines.

Kevin Ellis said the NAACP also canceled the Black History Celebration planned late in February at the Black River Coliseum.