In recognition of Black History Month, members of the Tappan Zee High School Social Justice Club designed a school-wide awareness campaign that celebrates African American leaders throughout history.
“We created a display in one of the hallways to showcase the month and put up posters throughout the school with background information about prominent leaders including Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., Frederick Douglass and Barack Obama,” said Co-President Anna P. “Every day, we include information about these leaders as well as ‘This Day in History’ facts in the announcements.”
The TZHS Social Justice Club hosts monthly meetings that focus on open discussions about current events and if there are any national recognitions during that month. “When we host these meetings and talk about things like Black History Month, it’s important to find out how educated we are on the subject and if we can inform each other on things we may not know as much about,” Co-President Siena M. explained. Treasurer Cate D. added, “This club allows us to educate ourselves on so many different topics in a judgement-free environment by using non-biased news articles and having open discussions with each other.”
Leading up to their meeting on Wednesday, club officers created a Powerpoint presentation to guide their discussion of Black History Month with fellow club members. To kick off the meeting, Anna and Secretary Gabriela D. began the presentation by explaining the origin of Black History Month and how it was first recognized as a national celebration before diving into a discussion on current events.