SHENANDOAH JUNCTION, W.Va. -- An early childhood education aide at T.A. Lowery Elementary School (TALES) is adding a personal touch to the school's commemoration of Black History Month this February. Barbie Scott was inspired to honor students and other Black members of the TALES community with a display wall outside the preschool classroom where she works. Profiles and photos of students, teachers, and other Jefferson County Schools (JCS) staff hang alongside those of Martin Luther King, Jr., Ruby Bridges, Katherine Johnson, and other notable figures throughout Black History.
Students used their profiles to share their reflections on Black History Month. For Britton St. Lewis, Grade 5, it was an opportunity to look at the past and how it has impacted her as a person of color.
"Black History Month means so much to me because it is a time for me to realize all that my ancestors sacrificed for me to have a better future," she wrote.
Students also shared their future hopes and dreams in their profiles. St. Lewis said she wanted to become a teacher in her home state of West Virginia. Kindergartener Easton Smith said he hoped to grow up and become an architect who designs and builds houses, while Christopher Jackson, Grade 4, shared his dream of one day playing for the NBA.
Jackson also shared his thoughts on Black History Month, writing, "I had a dream that one day everybody will be treated the same because we are the same."
The project will be on display throughout February. Scott said she hopes it helps demonstrate to students that Black History Month is a time to celebrate and amplify Black voices in history and our present-day community.
"I want the kids to know they can be whatever they want in life, no matter the color of their skin," she said.
Header Photo: (Back row, from l.): Prudence Allen, 4th-grade teacher; Barbie Scott, Preschool ECCAT; Abubacarr Darboe, Christopher Jackson, Nathan Jackson, Evan Jackson, Easton Smith; (Front row, from l.): Zaccai Morman, Keairra Edwards, Britton St. Lewis