February was Black History Month, and as always, the MICDS community celebrated it in a number of student- and parent-led ways. Check out how our Rams honored Black History Month this year!
BSU Lunch & Learns
The MICDS Black Student Union (BSU) hosted two Lunch & Learns which were opportunities for faculty and staff to hear about the experiences of Black students at MICDS. The BSU co-heads, Zoe Carter-Konate ’22 and Lauren Douglas ’22, were in charge of drafting questions to guide the conversation which was moderated by Celeste Prince, Upper School English Teacher, and students. From the session, attendees gained perspective on the Black experience at MICDS. Co-head Lauren reflected, “The Black experience is an important part of American History. I thank all the faculty who listened to the experiences of black students in the Lunch and Learns. I hope that events and conversations like these continue beyond the month of February.”
BSU Listening Party & Celebrating Black Love Event
BSU hosted a Listening Party, a casual gathering for students to enjoy snacks and listen to music all while engaging in a discussion. Upper Schoolers talked about how the school year has been and about the overall experience as a Black student at MICDS.
On Valentine’s Day, BSU also hosted an event called “Celebrating Black Love.” Students gathered during the Activities period to watch a romantic film where the two main characters are Black.
Art from Black Artists
Black MICDS student artists were invited to showcase their artwork in Lower Messing prior to the recent Blue Whale Cafe performances. Their artwork is on display until the end of March. Check out some of their masterpieces below!
Erik Lyons Bond ’77 Lecture
Our annual Bond Lecture in observance of Black History Month featured Mary Institute alumna Monica Howard Douglas ’90, senior vice president and general counsel of The Coca-Cola Company. Watch her lecture and read the recap here.
The Erik Lyons Bond ’77 lecture is named in honor of the first African American graduate to complete all eight grades at Saint Louis Country Day School. During his years at CDS, Bond distinguished himself in scholastics, athletics, and student government. He passed away unexpectedly in 1985. Bond’s class established the Erik L. Bond ’77 Endowed Lecture Fund in 2002 in which a noted African American guest comes to campus to speak with students and spend time in our classrooms.
A Simulation of the 1958 All African People’s Congress (AAPC)
In our Upper School African History class with History Teacher Alexander Rolnick, students were assigned different roles to play as delegates during the 1958 AAPC. They were tasked with acting as their respective delegate during a simulation of the conference, trying to convince others of their ideas and pass certain motions. Read about the full lesson here which fittingly took place during Black History Month.
Lower Schoolers Create Black History Month Bulletin Board
In Beasley Lower School, Isabella S. ’29 inspired some of her peers to collaborate and create a Black History Month bulletin board in the fourth- and fifth-grade hallway. They printed pictures of different Black leaders, activists, inventors, and icons from history and wrote brief bios for each person. Check out their hard work below!
Passport Series Black History Month Celebration
The parent-led Passport Series joined the African American Support Committee to celebrate Black History Month over a Zoom meeting at the end of February. One MICDS parent, Pamela Williams P’26, shared how genealogy inspires her work as an educator, student, and mother. Read the full recap of her presentation here.
How neat to see Black History Month celebrated in so many different ways by our Rams community!