Honoring Black History Month
This February, St. Andrew’s students and faculty found meaningful ways to mark Black History Month, through music, literature, chapel, and even a special trip to Montgomery, Alabama.
Photos: 1) The Huston-Tillotson University choir, conducted by Dr. Ronnie Wilson, visited chapel at the Upper School. 2) The Noel brothers with Middle School musicians on the day of their concert. 3) A memorial wall at the Freedom Monument Sculpture Park in Montgomery, one of the Legacy Sites visited by SAS faculty. 4)The National Memorial for Peace and Justice, one of the Legacy Sites visited by SAS faculty.
This February, St. Andrew’s students and faculty found meaningful ways to mark Black History Month, through music, literature, chapel, and even a special trip to Montgomery, Alabama.
Ten St. Andrew’s faculty members spent three days in Montgomery for the National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES) conference at the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI). Founded by Bryan Stevenson, EJI has become one of the country's most important institutions for reckoning honestly with the history of racial injustice in America. In the words of NAES, the conference “affirm[ed] a core element of Episcopal identity—that Christian spiritual formation is intrinsically linked with the pursuit of justice and the respect of human dignity.” While in Montgomery, the SAS group visited the Legacy Sites– a museum, memorial, and sculpture garden which serve to document this country’s long and brutal history of racial injustice. The conference was a poignant, valuable opportunity for educators in Episcopal schools to learn, reflect, and wrestle with difficult questions.
This February, St. Andrew’s students and faculty found meaningful ways to mark Black History Month, through music, literature, chapel, and even a special trip to Montgomery, Alabama.
Ten St. Andrew’s faculty members spent three days in Montgomery for the National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES) conference at the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI). Founded by Bryan Stevenson, EJI has become one of the country's most important institutions for reckoning honestly with the history of racial injustice in America. In the words of NAES, the conference “affirm[ed] a core element of Episcopal identity—that Christian spiritual formation is intrinsically linked with the pursuit of justice and the respect of human dignity.” While in Montgomery, the SAS group visited the Legacy Sites– a museum, memorial, and sculpture garden which serve to document this country’s long and brutal history of racial injustice. The conference was a poignant, valuable opportunity for educators in Episcopal schools to learn, reflect, and wrestle with difficult questions.
Back on campus, chapel served as a touchstone throughout February. Outside of Black History Month education and activities in the classroom, chapel offered a place for our community to come together to celebrate Black history, art, and culture. At the Upper School, students and faculty took turns honoring a wide range of figures, spanning academia, activism, athletics, arts, and so much more:
The Rev. Dr. Lloyd "Tony" Lewis, Jr. (theologian, faculty at Virginia Theological Seminary) · Hanif Abdurraqib (poet) · Jarome Iginla (National Hockey League player) · Ruth E. Carter (costume designer) · the Jamaican Bobsled Team · Audre Lorde (writer and activist) · Tracy Chapman (singer-songwriter) · the Rev. Jesse Jackson (civil rights activist, minister, politician) · Theotis Robinson Jr. (desegregation trailblazer at the University of Tennessee) · singer-songwriter Ella Fitzgerald (singer, songwriter, composer) · Ta-Nehisi Coates (author, journalist, activist) · Henrietta Lacks (victim of bioethical malfeasance)
And at the end of the month, the Upper School community was delighted by a performance from the Huston-Tillotson University choir and their conductor, Dr. Ronnie Wilson.
Younger students spent the month reading some remarkable books and learning more about the people behind them. They were captivated by the incredible true story of Mary Walker, the nation’s oldest student who learned to read at the age of 116. They also explored the beautiful work of author and illustrator Oge Mora and enjoyed former President Barack Obama’s moving book, written as a letter to his daughters. One incredible highlight of the month was a special visit from the Noel brothers, two local jazz teachers who spent several weeks working directly with students before culminating in a phenomenal jazz concert.
We are grateful for the many students, faculty, and guests who filled the month with opportunities for learning and reflection.
