The Black History Oratorical Fest (BHOF), which started in 2018, is a tournament in which students from third to 12th grade compete using poetry, spoken word, or speeches. Students can perform published or original pieces aligning with the year’s theme. All performances are up to three minutes long. Berkeley’s elementary, middle, and high schools hold site competitions up until Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. Judges at each school choose finalists, which are sent to perform at the district competition on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. Elementary schools can send one individual or group, while middle and high schools can send two individuals or groups.
“(The Black History Oratorical Fest) is an opportunity for students and staff to engage with the contributions of Black and African American people around the world, it’s also an opportunity for students to showcase their passions in a way that’s verbal and visual,” said Salita Mitchell, Longfellow principal.
Kamar O’Guinn, the African American Success Project manager for Berkeley Unified School District, said the fest provides an opportunity to uplift and support Black narratives, Black history, and celebrate cultural heritage.
“When we’re thinking about what it means to have Black success in the classroom space, my job this year has been to take the event itself and move it ... beyond,” O’Guinn said.
Each year there is a theme for the Black History Oratorical Fest. In 2024, the theme was “Black Artists: Art for Change. Art for Joy.” The theme is intended to guide performers to create an original piece or recite a published work surrounding the chosen theme and speaking to its impact. The current theme is “The Cultural Revolution of the Harlem Renaissance.”
This year, there was a guidebook sent out with curated texts surrounding the theme, lesson plans, poetry archives, and more to provide support, especially for elementary and middle school students. Additionally, there is a section on cultural appropriation, and how to avoid it.
The guidebook mentioned the Harlem Renaissance, which occurred from 1918-1937 and was an influential time in African American culture, literary history, and creative arts. According to the guidebook, “The era witnessed a convergence of artistic expression, an awakened political consciousness, and emboldened action. While the expressive mediums from this time gave us everlasting cultural gifts, many often overlook the historical context and circumstances that led to the Renaissance, which, when examined, provide entry points for teaching and learning.” Students who perform are expected to have a basic understanding of important figures in the Harlem Renaissance.
In elementary and middle schools, there is additional support for learning about poetry and spoken word. “We have really taken on the responsibility of teaching kids how to orate as part of our curriculum, as part of our standards,” said Patrick Collins, a literacy coach and English teacher at Longfellow Middle School, “It fits right in. This year, we’re particularly happy to be celebrating the Harlem Renaissance, so we’ve been able to integrate some of the history of the movement before jumping into the poetry, when in years past, we haven’t always done that.” The English curriculum was changed right before the first BHOF, providing an opportunity for teachers to build it into their lessons.
“We’ve got some great orators at every grade,” Collins said, “I can’t wait to see what the kids have this year, because they surprise us every year. If you get a chance to see it, it’s a really amazing thing.”