A look into Black History Month at GA and events that have been planned by BSA and GA faculty, as well as some thoughts from Mrs. Ayers, the BSA Advisor.
Throughout February, GA faculty, students, and BSA (The Black Student Alliance) have been working together to celebrate and honor Black History Month as a community. The Upper School held events and activities to learn more about this special month and the importance of Black Excellence.
The events so far have been a dress-down day where students wore red, green, or black; two community time periods dedicated to quilt making; poetry readings from faculty and students; live music; a gallery walk-through; as well as treats during lunch provided by a Black-owned business. There are more events to come as the month continues.
At the beginning of February, BSA kicked off Black History Month with a week full of events and a big celebration. Mrs. Ayers said, “By having such a big celebration, it tells everyone that this is something that we as a school should be celebrating. Not only just for the month of February but as a general fabric of the school.” Mrs. Ayers wanted to highlight that “Black History Month and Black students are an essential fabric of this school community.” She also acknowledged that many events related to BSA have become more relevant amongst the school community such as connections with African American alumni of GA, panel discussions from students, and much more.
The purpose of these events is to bring the GA community together to celebrate and recognize Black History Month. On the subject of Black Excellence, Mrs. Ayers, BSA Advisor, said, “Black Excellence is GA excellence, and this month is a GA community month.” She then began talking about why some of the activities we have done were chosen. She said, “Being African American is a superpower, and the community should embrace all cultures, which segues into why we chose the quilt activity. You weave different fabrics together; it connects and highlights the community. It teaches students while bringing ideas together.”
One of Mrs. Ayers’s big hopes is that the GA community has at least learned something and realizes that Black History Month, and any other heritage months, are year-long celebrations. Mrs. Ayers says, “I hope African American students have felt supported and valued because of the events that have been set up.” Appreciative of all the hard work put in to make the month successful, Mrs. Ayers adds, “I have taken away that GA can come together as a community to support one another and I very much appreciate all of the efforts made by the GA administration and BSA to make these events possible.”
Make sure to check out the following Black History Month events that will occur closer to the end of the month.