STAAR puts on Black History Month lunchtime event

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Elliot Smith

Students engage in a game in which they sing songs by Black artists on a spinning wheel.

Students wait in line at the taco truck at the event STAAR held at lunch. (Elliot Smith)

Students Taking Action for Anti-Racism (STAAR), an AWHS leadership elective, held an event for Black History Month during lunch on Friday, Feb. 18. The event, held on the AWHS baseball field, included food trucks, music, and stands with activities and information about Black culture and history.

As a result of the event, AWHS administration enacted an altered bell schedule to create a longer lunch break for students to attend the celebration. Each class was five minutes shorter, with 10 extra minutes added onto lunch.

Informational stands on the baseball field  offered in-depth analysis on Black history, and highlighted the achievements of Black writers and musicians. The stands educated AWHS students on Black history and culture, while integrating games and entertainment into the lessons to create an engaging experience for participants.

At the event for Black History month, students participate in a line dance. (Elliot Smith)

As an added bonus, students lined up on the field for a taco truck, pizza stand, and Jamba Juice.

“[Our goal is] just expanding knowledge of Black history, and instead of it just being a topic that people have to sit down and learn about from a textbook…[STAAR] wanted to make it interactive and fun and more of a community-based learning,” said sophomore and STAAR member Jane Adams.

The Black History Month event allowed AWHS students to broaden their horizons on the matter of social justice in an entertaining and engaging way.