BY CHRIS GOMES
Each February, the country recognizes and celebrates the contributions of Black figures to our society. Black History Month (BHM) is integral and in honor of it, CCHS is celebrating through a multitude of fun, entertaining and engaging festivities. None of these activities could have been possible without the contribution of CCHS students, staff and clubs.
Multicultural Club has organized a wide range of festivities and activities for students to partake in to celebrate BHM. Kevin Fair, the club’s sponsor, has constructed a Canvas page for the whole month with a wide range of activities and festivities to participate in daily.
“We hope to engage students through these activities, which allows us to have fun while learning about Black history,” Multicultural Club President Lauren Dupoux said. “By creating activities such as the trivia or bingo, we seek to get our members and the school involved [in] learning [about] Black History Month, but not making it feel like another Teams call.”
Within the Canvas page, there is a daily BHM Trivia Contest with each correct answer entering the participant into a weekly raffle. Two winners are chosen per week and they each receive a BHM prize.
For those interested in the arts and writing, CCHS has also organized art and essay contests for students to participate in.
The theme for these contests is the idea of “…And Justice for All,” taking reference from the last four words of the American Pledge of Allegiance. Both of these activities rely on the student’s interpretation of the theme, leaving a wide range and freedom to express their thoughts and views artistically or through writing.
“A lot of people hear that there is a problem, but they don’t truly understand the problem or know how to fix it. When you write something and take the time to research the problem and think of ways to fix it, then you truly understand it,” English teacher Briana Bullard said. “This idea applies to the students writing about the lack of justice seen in America and the teachers and staff that hear and receive the students’ message.”
Aside from the many contests, there are also live events in virtual settings. To begin the month, on February 3, there was a Black Movie Trivia Tournament. Students were asked to answer questions in a trivia format. Following that, students participated in a Virtual Scavenger Hunt on February 10, as well as a themed Jeopardy event on February 17.
There will be a Hear Our Voices Roundtable, where students can voice their concerns surrounding the many complex issues facing society today with representatives from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
After those events, there will be a guest speaker event on February 24 with State Attorney Harold Pryor, hosted by Future Law Professionals of America and Multicultural Club. Then, there will be an Afternoon of Arts on February 25 where poets, musicians, rappers, literary writers and artists are able to showcase their talent while celebrating Black history and culture.
February is the month of Black History and CCHS is striving to stress the importance of it through the usage of activities.
“As we have formulated these activities we hope it not only brings awareness and sheds light on Black history and culture, but we also hope it allows students to enjoy school-wide activities—even if it’s virtual,” Dupoux said.
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Illustration by Brianna Megnauth
