February is Black History Month — a time to reflect on the achievements, resilience, and impact of Black individuals throughout history. Black History Month started as Black History Week in 1926, and since 1976 it has been officially celebrated as Black History Month.
The Black Student Union (BSU) and other parts of the school are hosting several Black History Month events this February. Some of those include the Black History Month Assembly, some dance and poetry performances, and Black History Month Spirit Week.
Jayme Lawrence, the president of the BSU said, “I find it very important to have that space of unity and comfort” about the BSU. Lawrence joined the BSU because she’s always been interested in African American studies and history. Her interest grew from a middle school program called Umoja at Longfellow Middle School which taught students about Black history, Black economics, Black development, and more.
“Having things like the BSU and the AfAm studies department impacts the student body heavily because we are the first high school to have something like that.”
Lawrence says that she also personally celebrates Black History Month both outside and within Berkeley High School.
“Me and my family like to talk about Black culture and politics and stuff like that … the Bay Area is really enriched when it comes to Black culture. So just going to events, much like the Black Joy Parade, we go to that every year,” Lawrence said.
One of the African American Studies classes that BHS offers is AfAm History, which is taught by Spencer Pritchard.
“In our classes, we emphasize that Black history is all year, and this is just another month,” Pritchard said. He decided to teach this subject because, “When I was in high school, my senior year, I took an African American History course, and from there I wanted to learn more about my people.” Pritchard explained that he is really passionate about the topic and loves reading and learning about it.
“It’s kind of beautiful where I’m able to learn what I love learning and just go ahead and teach other people,” Pritchard said.
African Diaspora Dance is another popular BHS AfAm class. According to BHS junior Corina Blanton, “Dance for me is more about having fun and letting go but also honoring those who came before me and showing my appreciation for where I stand today.” In this class, Black History Month is celebrated by talking about Black history, especially the history of the dances they perform. “We’ll usually talk about the title of the dance, what it means, and what part of Africa it comes from,” Blanton said. Blanton says she learned a lot from this class, including how to push herself but also be patient. She sees dance as a form of storytelling, but also as a way for her to free herself and her energy.
“I celebrate Black History Month personally by being myself and being grateful for where I am today but I also do that year-round,” Blanton said. She said that during Black History Month, she thinks of Malcolm X’s autobiography. “I find his story particularly inspiring because to me he represents second chances and making them happen yourself,” Blanton said. Blanton believes that Black history is not represented to the extent that it could be in the Berkeley and BHS community. She explained how she had only learned about a small percentage of Black icons in school up until this year when she enrolled in three AfAm classes. Blanton believes dance preserves Black heritage as the dances she learns today have existed for centuries.
“It goes beyond Black history month because we do this year round and we never stop acknowledging where we come from and what we’ve been through,” Blanton said.