East Aiken celebrates Black History Month

East Aiken Elementary School of the Arts celebrated Black History Month last week, focusing on prominent African-Americans and on the character trait of the month, "flexibility."

Students Shantell Wise and Tanzania Lloyd served as hosts for the event.

"Many African-Americans had to show an admirable amount of flexibility to survive as slaves and through our country's time of segregation," Shantell said.

She and Lloyd described how quilts were used as maps to guide slaves north to freedom through the underground railroad.

Several students - Jillian Boyd, Tyler Smith, Donavan Hale, Atticus Nusbaum and Deontre Brown - presented Powerpoints in discussing African Americans of the past.

Jackie Robinson was the first black professional baseball player in the Major Leagues. He had to overcome prejudice but later was voted into the Hall of Fame.

Rosa Parks became a symbol of the civil rights movement in 1955 when she refused to give up her seat on a city bus in Montgomery, Ala. She later received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Deontre presented information about George Washington Carver - a prominent scientist and inventor. He did extended research in finding crop alternatives to cotton, especially peanuts.

Perhaps less well known is artist Jonathan Green, but he has worked his entire life to honor the Gullah culture in which he grew up, said Lloyd. A number of students did tableaus related to some of Green's paintings displayed in a slide show.

Music was provided by the East Aiken choral performers. Providing a dance of "cats" were Jaamiyah Williamson, Angel Dunbar, Alonzo Carter, Alexandra Sims and Tinira Sabb.

Other participants were Aaniyah Johnson, Tyler Smith, Matthew Abernethy, J.D. Mathis and Caroline Couvillon.

Contact Rob Novit at rnovit@aikenstandard.com.