As February marks Black History Month, Aledo ISD is dedicated to highlighting the contributions and achievements of African Americans throughout history by providing educational opportunities.
To recognize this time, activities within the school system, and the library in particular, have emerged, focusing on the pivotal role of African American authors and historical figures.
“Here in the library, we spotlight particularly African American authors and major figures in all sorts of areas throughout American history,” Daniel Ninth Grade library aid Lisa Dansie said. “We also spotlight African American fiction authors so that their stories can be spotlighted and we can draw our students towards something new.”
Some of the figures include civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr., former President Barack Obama, mathematician and computer Dorothy Vaughn, aerospace engineer Mary Jackson, NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, and NFL Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Around campus, officer Eric Jerrols works as one of the school resource officers, and he said he tries to be a person people can look up to and having Black representation matters.
“I try to be someone to set an example and try to be someone they can follow,” Jerrols said.
Black American have impacted music through cultural movement like singer Kendrick Lamar, who won the first Pulitzer Prize for a hip-hop album in 2018, and Ella Fitzgerald who was the first Black woman to win a Grammy in 1958. Freshman Blessing Mulenga said music plays a key part in culture and communities.
“Music is another form of language and brings people together,” freshman Blessing Mulenga said. “As silly as it sounds, I think the different genres that were deprived from Black communities have helped unite people in the US.”
Along with the librarian spotlights and social influence through music, each day on the announcements students highlight quotes or information about significant Black figures, and some teachers incorporate information in classes as well.
“I try to highlight where there is a significant African American that we can talk about or focus on,” AP history teacher Donna Bonaldi said. “But because the curriculum is so stringent and has little wiggle room, we can’t take anything way to add something in.”
By the welcoming classroom environment, engaging classes, and learning across the district, students and faculty are given the opportunities to discover new things about African American history and their impact on US history.
“Just learn as much as you can,” Jerrols said. “Ask questions if you don’t know, and just look outside the box.”
While conversations around race can be tense, different people’s perspectives on society and history open the door for conversation and consideration.
“Feeling welcome and feeling included is the key to sharing, and sharing is where we get people’s stories, and when we have people’s stories, we’re all better enriched for it,” Dansie said. “We also have a greater understanding of each other.”
