Black History Month came alive at recently as the Cultural Diversity Club featured African traditional dress and music to teach students the unique aspects of African American customs and traditions.
Samar Sakakini, the club’s advisor, previously held a similar celebration at when she taught there. This is the second year that the club staged the event at THS.
Taylor Dawson, president of the Cultural Diversity Club, started the celebration with a welcome and introduced Georgina Appiah-Pippin, a senior student at the high school.
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Appiah-Pippin, originally from Ghana, brought in a variety of fabrics and clothing that the country is famous for including batik and hand woven kente. She explained the uses for the clothing, the colors, and the symbols that embellished them.
Gina LeVon Simpson gave a presentation next. LeVon Simpson began with a lively monologue that encouraged everyone to know their history. LeVon Simpson also discussed the MAAFA Influence Production where she is a writer and the director.
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For her presentation, LeVon Simpson used storytelling and African Djembe drumming to inform students about African history and culture.
“Our history, our life; always hold onto it delicately. Our ancestors, they lived for more than themselves. We are living and standing on the backs of our ancestors,” she said.
The presentation moved Sophomore Sarah Diamond. “Before she came in to speak, I was thinking about homework and what I had to do when I got home from school. After she was done speaking I wanted to move to Ghana and play her drum,” she said.
The Cultural Diversity Club has celebrated many other events during the 2010-2011 school year. Earlier in the month, the club decorated one of the school walls with pictures of famous African Americans to help others recognize the many accomplishments of African Americans citizens.
For the "Wonders of Korea" Day, held at the Trumbull Library on Jan. 22, students placed signs and posters around the school to promote the event.
The club also celebrated Hispanic History Month and learned about Indian culture. At the start of the new year, students researched and commemorated the Chinese calendar. The year of the rabbit, according to the Chinese zodiac, began on Feb. 3.
The Chinese zodiac describes both the people born in the year and general trends that will occur. People born in 2011 are lucky but a bit introverted. They enjoy the company good friends. According to Chinese tradition, the rabbit brings a year in which people can catch up and relax.
But the Cultural Diversity Club is not planning on relaxing yet. At the end of the year, 20 members will attend a Prejudice Awareness Conference. Sakakini, who organized the events and field trip, said the activities highlighted the Cultural Diversity Club's goals: “education, awareness and celebration.”
