By Denivia Rivera
California Avenue School students kicked off the Feb. 11 Uniondale Board of Education meeting with a festive Black History Month program that included singing, acting, and a step routine accompanied by music and a live voice-over.
Uniondale Superintendent Monique Darrisaw-Akil welcomed the students to take the stage. “We’re going to start with a continuation of our Black History program,” Darrisaw-Akil said. “This will be part of my report, the amazing work that our students are doing. We’re going to begin with a presentation from California Avenue, led by one of our teachers Mrs. Keturah Lee.”
The performance began with two boys singing Michael Cooper’s “Lift Every Voice.” One of them was Dylan Pickett.
After, Dylan and California Avenue School teacher Gabrielle Morales acted out a short scene revolving around the question, “What if there were no Black people in the world?” Pickett played the son Theo, and Morales, the mother.
“Mom, what if there were no Black people in the world?” Dylan asked. Morales replied, “Well son, follow me around today and let’s see just what it would be like if there were no Black people in the world.”
The demonstration followed Theo and his mother attempting to complete daily tasks but being unable to because of a lack of inventions that were created by Black individuals throughout history.
Lee, a California Avenue School special education teacher, narrated the act, naming Black historical figures and their inventions. “Theo ran in his room to brush his hair, but the brush was not there,” Lee said. “You see, Lydia O. Newman, a Black female, invented the hairbrush.”
Fifteen historical Black individuals were acknowledged throughout the scene. The skit ended with a statement from Lee, Pickett and Morales.
“If you ever wonder, like Theo, what the world would be like without us, well, it’s pretty plain to see,” Lee said. Pickett and Morales responded together, “We would still be in the dark.”
Next, California Avenue fourth- and fifth-graders performed a step routine with assistance from Lee, who was their choreographer. The routine began with a short speech from Lee that was spoken in addition to the music playing and dancers moving on stage. “Black hands have shaped the world, but the weight of history is heavy. Chains may have been broken, but burnage remains,” Lee said. “We are not built to break. We rise again.”
Students began stepping with the music and ended the dance singing along with the music in a call-and-response with Lee.
After, Darrisaw-Akil said Black History Month programs will continue in the schools. “This is just the beginning, and that’s a small taste of what our scholars will be doing all month long,” she noted. “They will be having full Black History programs in all of our schools.”
After the meeting, Lee spoke about preparing the students for their Black History Month performance.
“This is just the beginning, and that’s a small taste of what our scholars will be doing all month long. They will be having full Black History programs in all of our schools.”
Monique Darrisaw-Akil, Uniondale Superintendent of Schools
The acting sequence showcased by Dylan and Morales was a piece performed during Black History Month last year. Lee said the students learned about the historical Black individuals noted in the presentation.
“When we did our first few rehearsals, we expressed to the students the different historical figures that we were going to address,” Lee said.
She also spoke about what her step students learned during rehearsals. “Through step, I teach them about the discipline of practice, commitment and stage presence,” she said. “Between singing, dancing and acting, we put together a presentation that was inspirational.”
California Avenue School has taken other initiatives and provided other Black History Month programs for students. Lee spoke about her contribution to the school and her students.
“In the morning, we typically do fun facts about Black historical figures,” she said. “In my class specifically, we’re preparing for a writing celebration that we’re turning into a wax museum.
“Some of my students are non-verbal, so they’re going be putting their facts into their devices to be able to speak out,” she added.
Lee also mentioned the access students have to a multicultural library this month. “I set up a multicultural library in front of the school building for students and staff to have access to different multicultural books about different Black historical figures,” she said.
On Feb. 28, the California Avenue School held a cultural celebration titled, “Black Excellence: A Legacy of Greatness” that included information on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
