From a traveling exhibit of the African American Heritage Museum to appearances by a streetwise scholar who helped prepare Columbia University’s first African American history course to a display in the West Windsor municipal building, the WW-P community will ring with events celebrating Black History Month.##M:[more]##
And the newly-elected officers of the WW-P African-American Parents Support Group are planning a program of their own Tuesday, February 13, at 7:30 p.m. at High School North
“The AAPSG will also give a brief presentation at the event on outreach to our African-American parents to get involved in the AAPSG and the importance of staying involved in your child’s education,” says president Barbara Edmonds. “Our major goal is to provide an evening for the WW-P community to become more connected collectively to the important role African-Americans play in our world community and to incorporate this concept of educating our children, and our community about this connection on a daily basis — not just in February.”
Other newly elected officers of the support group include vice president Kim Evans, secretary Karen Delk, and treasurer Lisa Redmond.
Performances include a “Harriet Tubman: Freedom’s Dream,” a play written by fourth grade students at Millstone River School. “It is a theatrical piece about the incredible actions of Harriet Tubman, who continually risked her life to lead more than 300 slaves to freedom,” says their teacher, Heidi Wachtin. “It was created from my class of 26 fourth graders from Millstone River School.” Her class spent many hours researching the history of slavery and Tubman.
There will be informational tables with vendors and community groups including Princeton Health Care Systems, New Jersey Amistad Commission, College Catalysts, and the United Negro College Fund. Lori Hartley and Chris Diaz, both registered nurses, will be available to take blood pressures and to discuss health concerns for African Americans. A children’s corner will focus on African-American history and the jazz bands from both high schools will perform.
Keynote speaker is Karen Jackson-Weaver, executive director of the New Jersey Amistad Commission. She received her bachelor of arts degree, and certificates in African-American studies and the teacher preparation program from Princeton University. She received master’s degrees from Harvard and Columbia universities and has worked in education for more than 10 years with the New York City, Boston, and Princeton public school systems.
She also served as a visiting scholar at the King Center Library and Archives in Atlanta, Georgia, where she completed research for her dissertation on black women’s leadership during the Civil Rights Movement.
“We want to begin a dialogue with the African-American parents and students of WW-P as well as African-American faculty, to hear their concerns and ideas to ensure that as we plan for the remainder of the school year that we are meeting those concerns and that we can work together to do this in a strategic and transparent process,” says Edmonds. — Lynn Miller
Black History Celebration, WW-P African American Parent Support Group, High School North, Grovers Mill Road, 609-716-5100. African-American Awareness Clubs. Afro-centric items and resource tables. Open to the public. Free. Tuesday, February 13, 7:30 p.m.
