By Voice & Viewpoint Staff
On Monday, February 3rd, bright and early, the San Diego Unified School District gathered 200 students from Black Student Unions throughout the district to celebrate the start of Black History Month at Eugene Bruker Education Center with a student-led flag raising. Students expressed what the month means to them, and their stories through spoken word, speeches, poems, and songs.
“For me, Black History is personal. Growing up in two different family-like environments, I’ve experienced both the beauty and the challenges that come with embracing different cultures. I felt different from those around me whether it was my hair, my skin color, or the way people view my identity”, said Malia Mims, from Patrick Henry High School, as she continued to explain many different forms of blackness as it was presented in her life.
“It doesn’t matter what color history it is, it’s everybody’s history! Black History taught me that you can become anybody you want to become,” exclaimed Malachi Conners, kindergartner from Gage Elementary School, as the remarkable youngster went on to list the names of Black History greats.
“Listen, my hair is meticulously looked after. It is conconut-oil-covered beauty. It is all the hours I spent lovingly detangling. It is a resistance to your words because I put too much love into these curls. You cannot break through the shea butter barrier I created around these curls,” conveyed Kirena Godwin, from University City High School, in her spoken word poem.
Chris White, Correia Middle School teacher, sang the Black National Anthem as the students proudly elevated the Black History Month flag.
