Black History Month (BHM) is an opportunity to spotlight Black members of our campus communities and highlight the history that has inspired them. For this final BHM spotlight, we asked two members of our YES Prep community to close out February on a high note.
A Global Reach
Jordan Coleman is currently an eighth grader at YES Prep Northbrook Middle School. He is a passionate sports fan and plays club football and basketball for Northbrook. In his post-homework time, Jordan enjoys playing Xbox with his friends. The youngest of nine siblings, Jordan wants to attend Louisiana State University (LSU) and major in Architecture.
We asked Jordan what Black History Month means to him and he mentioned that the scope of it inspires awe. This awareness month, which is also celebrated abroad in countries like Canada, Ireland, Netherlands and United Kingdom, generates social awareness about the contributions of Black people across the globe. “I think Black History Month is for highlighting Black people so that others can learn about how we contributed to the world. The attention we get inspires me.”
I think Black History Month is for highlighting Black people so that others can learn about how we contributed to the world. The attention we get inspires me.
Deep American Roots
Born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, Chela Green is the resident principal at YES Prep Brays Oaks. When we reached out to her about BHM, she was excited to share her voice on the matter. She reflected on how her grandmother was a Fisk University student who participated in sit-ins to de-segregate public venues and a grassroots organizer in Nashville, TN and how she honors her legacy by making educational equity her civil rights movement.
As for BHM, Chela pointed out the depth of Black people’s contribution to society as an important focus of BHM. For her and many other Black folks around the world, BHM isn’t just a month of highlighting contributions made by the Black community. It is also a time where all Americans can learn about their other close-knit family roots, the roots of Black Americans. “I would love for people to understand that African American history and culture is American history and culture. My ancestors literally built this country and everything that is deemed as “cool” in popular culture more than likely has Black origins. Our history and culture are rich and doesn’t start with the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and end at the Civil Rights Movement. That is why it is so important to do research on the African diaspora and learn there are Black people all over the world who speak many different languages. The Black experience is not monolithic, and we should not be treated as it is.”
I would love for people to understand that African American history and culture is American history and culture...The Black experience is not monolithic, and we should not be treated as it is.
How YES Prep celebrates BHM
At YES Prep, we celebrate BHM and the diversity of our entire community. As with other cultural celebrations, our teachers and staff constantly look for new ways to form cherished memories with our students and let them know they belong. Both Jordan and Chela spoke to such an experience when recalling the events of years past. “This year we did daily trivia the first week of the month and I really enjoyed that,” Jordan shared. “I got to learn about some new people and events that I hadn’t heard of like Alvin Ailey and the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921.”
As for Chela, she said, “My fondest Black History Month memory is with the Black-female affinity group I started at YES Prep Northbrook Middle, Royal Sisters. We created ‘Black Herstory Month’ and ‘Google’ projects, which we used to invest the entire school in our Accelerated Reader literacy goal by showcasing young adult novels written by Black female authors and creating special incentives for students who read books. The ’Google’ project was a cool way to provide facts about notable Black figures who made history in their respective fields and should not just be recognized in February.”
YES Prep's 2021 Black History Month campaign
Although February is ending, Black history is worthy of year-round attention and celebration. From the Origins of Black History Month to empowering stories of YES Prep leaders, there are so many amazing ways to immerse in this history and share newfound knowledge with others, no matter one’s ethnic background. If you have not done so already, make sure to check out our other Black History Month spotlights, by clicking here.