February 19th: In honor of Black History Month, today we recognize Michelle Obama who is a lawyer, an author, and a former first lady of the United States. She is the closest we have to American royalty. (Source: The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez)
Congratulations to our February Students of the Month for practicing self-advocacy and being count-on students each day at Mohawk. #ElevatingExcellence
February 18th: In honor of Black History Month, today we recognize Shirley Chisholm who was the first Black woman in Congress, where she proposed laws that gave more power to women and African Americans. In 1972, she became the first woman and the first African American to seek the nomination of a major party in a presidential election. (Source: The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez)
February 17th: In honor of Black History Month, today we recognize Bayard Rustin who helped Dr. King understand the power of breaking unjust laws and was a key organizer of the March on Washington. (Source: The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez)
February 16th: In honor of Black History Month, today we recognize Ella Baker. She was a leading activist and organizer in the civil rights movement. She worked with the NAACP and helped to found Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Southern Christian Leadership Conference and SNCC. (Source: The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez)
February 15th: In honor of Black History Month, today we recognize Diane Nash. Nash is a civil rights leader who began as a student activist in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. She participated in the Freedom Rides and helped to integrate lunch counters and bus terminals. She continues to fight for a fairer world. (Source: The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez)
February 14th: In honor of Black History Month (and Valentine's Day), today we recognize Mildred Loving. Loving married a white man, illegally. Her case went all the way to the Supreme Court, which decided that her marriage was legal and true. (Source: The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez)
February 13th: In honor of Black History Month, today we recognize John Lewis. Lewis believed in making "good trouble," and became a US congressman. Before that, he attempted to lead a march from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery in an effort to get the government to lift the restrictions that prevented Black people from voting. (Source: The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez)
February 12th: In honor of Black History Month, today we recognize Jean-Michel Basquiat who made art all over New York City that was unlike anything anyone had ever seen. Basquiat had a voice. (Source: The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez)
February 11th: In honor of Black History Month, today we recognize DJ Kool Herc. Herc helped invent hip-hop. He extended the drum break of every song so people could find their groove. If you ever hear anyone say, "These are the breaks!" or "Break it down!" thank DJ Kool Herc. (Source: The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez)
February 10th: In honor of Black History Month, today we recognize Alvin Ailey. Ailey danced. He founded a modern dance troupe that performed dances celebrating Black culture. The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is still around today. (Source: The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez)
February 9th: In honor of Black History Month, today we recognize Gwendolyn Brooks. Brooks was a poet. She often wrote about Bronzeville, her Chicago neighborhood, and became the first Black poet laureate of the United States. (Source: The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez)
February 8th: In honor of Black History Month, today we recognize Matthew Henson and Mae Jemison. Henson is the first Black person to reach the North Pole. Jemison became the first Black woman in space as an astronaut aboard the space shuttle Endeavor. (Source: The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez)
February 7th: In honor of Black History Month, today we recognize Linda Brown, The Little Rock Nine, and Ruby Bridges. They were among the first Black students to integrate all-white schools. They had such bravery and courage. (Source: The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez)
February 6th: In honor of Black History Month, today we recognize Madam C.J. Walker (born Sarah Breedlove, 1867-1919). Walker cared for hair. Her hair products and New York salon made her the first self-made woman millionaire in the United States. (Source: The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez)
February 5th: In honor of Black History Month, today we recognize George Washington Carver (1864-1943). Carver was a scientist. He was in charge of the farming program at Tuskegee Institute, an all-Black college led by Booker T. Washington (1856-1915). Carver invented more than 300 peanut products (Source: The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez)
HONORING ROSA PARKS: "Each person must live their life as a model for others." Today we are remembering activist and civil rights leader Rosa Parks, who was born on this day in 1913.
More fun in the snow! Some of Ms. Pacewic's first grade students thoroughly enjoyed their time outdoors.
February 4th: In honor of Black History Month, today we recognize Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968). Church was a place where African-Americans felt safe and comfortable. In the 1950s, as Black people continued to fight to be fully recognized as human beings, church leaders came together to do their part. They chose Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., a young minister at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, as their spokesperson. Reverend King went on to become a powerful voice in the fight for civil rights. (Source: The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez)
February 3rd: In honor of Black History Month, today we recognize Gordon Parks (1912-2006), Kwame Brathwaite (1938-), and Don Cornelius (1936-2012). Photographers Gordon Parks and Kwame Brathwaite captured the "Black is beautiful" look on film, and Soul Train, a music and dance show created by Don Cornelius, celebrated Black style on television. (Source: The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez)