Last Thursday, New London teacher Stacy Sherman-Watson and her kindergarten students celebrated what would have been Rosa Parks’ 108th birthday by learning about her life and accomplishments.

On Friday, they talked about Maya Angelou’s message of “You are enough” and played a Sesame Street clip to sing along with her. On Monday, Sherman-Watson is excited to introduce the kids to Jean-Michel Basquiat’s story and art. 

“Each day will be a new story and a new builder, artist, inventor, sports figure, poet, or change maker,” Sherman-Watson said. “The ultimate outcome in sharing these stories is for students to see themselves as future change makers. We all want a better world and what better way than with these young people?”

Sherman-Watson is among the schools, organizations and community members in the region hosting lessons and events throughout February in honor of Black History Month — and throughout the year.

Highlighting "shero" stories and systemic disparities

Norwich NAACP President Shiela Hayes said the Norwich branch promotes, educates and advocates Black History every month, but with particular emphasis during Black History Month. The NAACP Robertsine Duncan Youth Council is highlighting every day this month Black "sheroes," or female heroes,  who contributed to the history and empowerment of Black women, from Ida B. Wells and Vice President Kamala Harris to local figures, such as author and community activist Lottie B. Scott, Reverend Fannie B. Stokes and Ayanti Grant, district director for U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District.

Hayes said Black History Month is taking on a special significance this year, because of all the events of 2020, including the protests held by Black Lives Matter, the surge in interest in voting and the election, and disparities in the health care system in addressing COVID-19, from testing to getting people vaccinated.

"People now want to know how do you effect change, and how do we do it so we continue to address the disparities that exist, and what changes do we need to address the systemic racism or systemic disparities that have continued to exist for years?" Hayes said.

The New London NAACP is fundraising to buy Black History Month booklets for all elementary school students in the Waterford and New London and to buy the book “Successville” by Noah Harris, the first Black student body president of Harvard University, for second-graders in Waterford and New London, said New London NAACP President Jean Jordan. Typically, the chapter has been providing books for the Jennings Elementary School and Harbor Elementary School in New London and Great Neck Elementary School in Waterford. The Linwood W. Bland Jr. Youth Council is helping to pay for Black History materials this year.

“This is the first year that we are expanding it to all the schools in Waterford and New London,” said Jordan, who hopes to one day expand the initiative to all schools in southeastern Connecticut.

Required course rollout

Local school districts are preparing for the implementation of a new high school elective course on African American, Black, Puerto Rican, and Latino studies. The state is requiring high schools to offer starting in the fall of 2022, with the option to begin it earlier for the 2021-22 school year. The school districts also are incorporating Black History Month events for February.

In Groton, students are participating in a host of activities for Black History Month, and Superintendent Susan Austin said it will continue each month: "We want to integrate the study of Black History throughout the year," she said.

The Stonington school district is offering activities for Black History Month but said it is integrating the lessons into its yearlong curriculum.

In Ledyard, elementary school students are doing daily activities in the classroom and over announcements, while middle and high school students in their advisory programs are learning about Black History Month and modern social justice, said Superintendent Jay Hartling. He said the school district has committed over the last several years to make a concerted effort to ensure the district's courses, materials and classroom activities are reflective of holistic American experience and, during Black History Month, the district expands upon the work educators are doing every day in classrooms.

This year's theme for Black History Month is "Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity," and LEARN's magnet school students will be engaging in a variety of activities centered around those themes, said LEARN Executive Director Kate Ericson.

Among the activities in North Stonington, elementary students are doing read-alouds of famous Civil Rights leaders. Middle school chorus students are digging into the history of the African-American spiritual "Deep River" while using recording technology to create a unique musical performance. Members of the Wheeler Culture Club will be creating profiles of important contributors to Black history and culture and displaying them in the school paper and on bulletin boards around the school, according to Superintendent Peter Nero.

The Norwich NAACP and Robertsine Duncan Youth Council will host a two-part town hall series that will be live-streamed from Slater Auditorium on the Norwich Free Academy campus. Black history posters also are displayed on campus that demonstrate the connection between John Slater of NFA and Historical Black Colleges, said Brian Kelly, superintendent/head of school at NFA.

Waterford Superintendent Thomas Giard III said schools are incorporating Black History facts, quotes and contributions, into their morning announcements, students are researching and preparing projects in their social studies classes, and students are participating in read-alouds featuring selections from the Teaching Tolerance project and texts celebrating equity, diversity, and the contributions of African Americans within American History, such as "I am Rosa Parks." 

East Lyme students also are honoring Black History Month, from the High School's diversity club's hosting of Black History Month Movies to middle school students analyzing Amanda Gorman's poetry, according to Superintendent Jeffrey Newton.

Colleges also are hosting activities. The Multicultural Student Union at Mitchell College is planning several activities, including: "Woke Wednesdays," providing information on mental health in the Black community, hidden figures in Black history, and how to be an ally to the Black community, said Mitchell College spokesperson Britt Barry. The University of Connecticut and Connecticut College also are hosting events, such as Conn College's virtual discussion on the Harlem Renaissance.

Connecting virtually

Libraries will be holding virtual events. Madhu Bajaj Gupta, executive director of the Public Library of New London, said the library traditionally celebrated with a Black History Film Festival by showing a movie every Friday in February followed by a discussion led by Lonnie Braxton. This year due to the pandemic, the library was unable to hold in-person programs but will still hold a virtual movie screening and children's book talks featuring Black authors and illustrators.

The Black Engagement Council of Electric Boat is hosting a series of virtual events open to the community.

The League of Women Voters of Southeastern Connecticut will hold a virtual book discussion on “Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote and Insisted on Equality for All” by Martha Jones, a professor at Johns Hopkins University, who “explores the stories of women in her family and of many women of color who participated in the fight from the early 1800's to the current age,” said Joanne Moore, vice president of the Southeastern CT League of Women Voters and director of the League of Women Voters of Connecticut. 

The League of Women Voters of Connecticut also is planning to place a commemorative plaque at the State Capitol to honor the women of color who fought for women's suffrage in Connecticut, once the Capitol reopens.

"The League of Women Voters of Connecticut is proud to be able to celebrate our 100th anniversary by recognizing the women of color who participated in the fight for women's suffrage in Connecticut," said President Carol Reimers. "With the commemorative plaque to be placed at the Capitol and the LWVCT Connecticut Women's Suffrage Research Project, we want to honor these women who have not been acknowledged for their contributions in gaining the right to vote for women."

k.drelich@theday.com