Voices rise up through Black History Month performance
Park staff, students connect through experiences
February 28, 2020
Battling with her racial identity for most of her life, senior Zoe Younger said seeing the Black History Month performance her freshman year allowed her to connect with her racial “identity.” This year, Younger was able to channel her passion through planning the performance alongside senior Amaya Fokuo.
“I’ve always struggled with my racial identity growing up in a very white environment,” Younger said. “Knowing that I’m also black was always confusing for me, and I didn’t really figure out my racial identity until I entered high school and started exposing myself to these different opportunities. I think it helps me learn more about myself about the people I come from.”
Students dedicate their time to create the annual Black History Month performance and address ongoing racial issues within the school and in the world. In response to last year’s theme, “#WeAreTired,” this year’s theme was “Still I Rise.”
Junior Grace Kanyinku, who participated in the show by reading the poem “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou, said the performance gave her a platform to positively reinforce her identity.
“Every day in everything that I do I want to prove to myself especially, but also to other people, that dark skin is not negative. The word black is not negative,” Kanyinku said.
Performing the poem accomplished more than just expressing racial empowerment, it also shed light on the need for all forms of diversity, according to Kanyinku.
“The poem has this confidence and femininity and open sexuality,” Kanyinku said. “On top of all of that, just like pride for being black. It’s just so raw.”
Grade Level Coordinator Donielle Singer said his intent supporting and participating in the show is to ensure that students feel they are supported by their community and can overcome any barriers they may face in their day-to-day life.
“It’s grounding for a lot of people, everybody really, but especially for the students. I want them to continue coming just to, one, reassure them that it’s OK to be themselves and shoot for the stars and pursuing their dreams, not to feel hindered by any of life’s obstacles and two, to know that they have a community behind them and go to a school that supports them,” Singer said.
The video played during the show Feb. 28, created by senior Joey Miller, included interviews with various staff members around the school discussing their personal experiences with race. Kayinku said she appreciates how the show highlighted the voices of staff members that she doesn’t always have the opportunity to hear from.
“I feel like those teachers that I saw that were interviewed today, that’s one of the first times I’ve seen them talk about race in ‘I Statements,’” Kayniku said. “They give us the space and the openness to talk about our race and how we feel about it, but they don’t get that.”
According to Singer, he sees the Black History Month performance as a platform for change, and a lesson to students about what it takes to make a difference.
“If there’s one take away for all students to have is to know that we can make change,” Singer said. “It’s incremental change because it takes time and everybody one at a time, but coming together has a powerful impact in everything you set your sights on.”
Younger said she hopes students embrace who they are.
“I hope that the message is that black students show up to school. And when they show up, they show out. And so I hope that this is kind of an example of that,” Younger said.
