Washington Latin’s annual celebration of African American history and culture is well underway. Teachers across the school are focusing on the achievements of African American scholars, artists and scientists and encouraging students to think critically about how these heroes from the past inform our present life and experiences. Below is a sampling of some of the exciting work happening this month.
In Mr. Bane’s fifth grade English class, students are immersing themselves in an online “Museum” exhibit entitled “28 Epic Days of Black History.” Each day’s journey links to a reading about a literary or historical figure, from Oprah to Maya Angelou, to the “Harlem Hellfighters” (part of the 269th infantry in World War I). The class is also watching the movie “Searching for Bobby Fischer,” analyzing the identity of the Laurence Fishburne character named Vinny.
In eighth grade English, Ms. Breitman and Ms. Haywood started a six-week research project on Harlem Renaissance poet, Langston Hughes. The project involves reading 10 of Hughes’ poems, researching his personal life and the historical context of his words, and writing an analytical essay about the hidden aspects of his life that are revealed through his poetry. Librarian Sereena Hamm developed a specific digital Library Guide for students to access sources for this project. In eighth grade history, Mr. Byrd’s students are also doing research and making slideshows of their findings.
In the Upper School, Mr. Yonker’s Latin classes are engaged in a study of African American Classicists, starting with Dr. Anna Julia Cooper, the namesake of Washington Latin’s new campus opening in 2022. His class will also study Helen Maria Chesnutt, a Latin teacher in Cleveland, Ohio, who taught Langston Hughes; West Indian classicist Edward Wilmot Blyden, who was a professor at Liberia College; and professor John Wesley Gilbert, who attended the American School in Athens, and who produced the first map of Ancient Eretria.
Our study of African American history is not limited to the humanities. Ninth graders in Mr. Torrence’s physics class will write research papers on African scientists and their contributions to their respective fields of learning. This will happen in the last two weeks of the month after students participate in the science fair. And beginning today, I am launching a series on Twitter entitled #blackatlatin. You can use the hashtag or follow me @WashLatinHOS.
Of course, the study of African American leaders, artists, and writers is not limited to the month of February. Students in ninth grade English started the year reading an Afrofuturistic text “Binti” by Nnedi Okorafor, followed by Chinua Achebe’s novel about pre-Colonial Nigeria, “Things Fall Apart.” Sixth, seventh, and eighth graders each read books in the first semester by African American author Jason Reynolds, and students in eleventh grade history study the Civil Rights movement in the spring. Seniors engage in a spring research project on racism and the justice system.
Our value of and commitment to diversity is grounded in a classical mission that embraces diverse experiences and perspectives. Through this study of African American artists, classicists, writers, activists and scientists, our community is better able to make meaningful connections in the modern complex world.
Valete!
Head of School