Virtual learning is not stopping East from celebrating Black History Month. Members of the student-led clubs National Achievers Society and Future Advancement of Minority Education have organized two events to uplift student voices. One of the organizers, senior Ethan Taylor, hopes the events will educate students and create an open-minded community.
“The open mic has been a longstanding tradition for Black History Month at East,” Taylor said. “Its purpose continues to be to celebrate each other as a unified school community, through moving musical performances. I, personally, hope that as the performances progress, those in the virtual audience will replace and encourage others to replace any stereotypes they hold of minorities with appreciation of our distinct cultures and positive qualities.”
Taylor also notes the importance of celebrating Black history and why he became involved.
“I care a lot about racial equity and the celebration of diversity, especially since minorities are still overlooked and placed in an unfavorable light by the media and other sources,” Taylor said. “So, I wanted to be involved in any capacity to make sure that our BHM goals were met.”
The first event, a virtual open mic, will take place Feb. 10 and Feb. 17. It gives students an opportunity to vocalize anything they desire relating to Black history. According to Taylor, it will be a worthwhile experience;
“In-person restrictions won’t change the fact that the open mic will still be fun, engaging, and uplifting,” Taylor said. “It will be a very welcoming atmosphere, so if you’ve thought about performing something, a poem, a song, a musical piece, etc., or you’ve been longing to share your musical talent, please don’t hold yourself back. After all, hate has no home here.”
The second event is an art contest judged by students, based on the theme of Black history. A winner will be selected for each of the three categories: creativity, meaning, and effort. Since all entries will be displayed, Taylor hopes artistic ability will not hinder students from submitting work.
“There really is no such thing as ‘bad art,’” Taylor said. “Even if you aren’t chosen as one of the three winners, your art will still be admired by many as part of a gallery on the BHM website we’ve made. Just like with the open mic, don’t hold yourself back if you’ve been longing to share your artistic talent. This isn’t an art school; don’t expect criticism, but expect praise.”
The clubs have also published a slideshow to educate students about influential African-Americans from North Carolina that “were still able to achieve success despite adversity,” according to Taylor.
Photo courtesy of Tim Evanson/Flickr
