Honoring Black History at Preble
Posted on 02/28/2022
Preble students and staff honored and celebrated Black History Month at school. Here are some examples. Thanks to our students for their leadership!
-Students Alex Gonzalez (12th) and Karla Santos Pilar (10th) organized a screening of the movie "Hidden Figures", which took place February 23 after school. Karla said before the event, "This will be a time to get together to honor and celebrate Black history and women empowerment. The people in this film are some of the people who inspired me to be who I am today... Everyone is welcome. That is the idea--You don’t have to be Black to appreciate Black History or Black Excellence. This is not about a color, it’s about bringing people together to join in conversation, it's about community. It’s finally a moment where action has been taken instead of just talking. A moment for greatness to be displayed."
-Alex Gonzalez and Karla Santos Pilar also organized a slideshow of local black role models to be shown daily during advisory. "Karla and I have been working closely to bring awareness to diversity at Preble. Especially at school, it feels great to see people who look like you to be celebrated and highlighted for their achievements. There is greatness coming from people in our community," said Gonzalez.
-Melanie Lofgren, Preble Library Media Specialist, curated a collection of books by Black authors and/or books with Black main characters. Behind her is a Periodic Table of Black History which she displayed on the windows of the library.
-Students Xavier Garcia (11th) and Riley Brown (9th) created a portrait of Barack Obama out of Rubik's Cubes, with the support of Melanie Lofgren. In the display case are more works of literature written by Black authors and leaders.
-The Preble Diversity Leadership Group, advised by Amy Olson Guillen, has received mentorship from Preble Alumni Hannah Beauchamp-Pope and Sierra Slaughter, who are now UW-Green Bay students in the group BIPOC Rise (Black and Indigenous People of Color Reaching Intersectional Strengths through Engagement). The Preble Diversity Leadership Group joined them for a Soul Food Dinner on February 24 as a part of the Black History Month Celebration.
-A portrait of Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama, Malcolm X, and Dr Martin Luther King Jr. was displayed in the hallway approaching student services.