Loyola Celebrates Black History Month

Throughout the month, displays highlighting the tragic death of Breonna Taylor, the Stolen Series, and Chicago Connections to Black history lined the hallways. Student Activities created a beautiful art installation and asked students to share their hopes for justice and peace. Messages like “equality for all” and “more representation” were written on small paper doves that were on display throughout the month of February. Campus Ministry hosted weekly prayer services in the Chapel during flex periods to celebrate the 43rd annual African American Heritage Prayer Service. Each service was fifteen minutes long, and students had the opportunity to participate in-person or remotely via Zoom.

Senior Wosilat “Grace” Fatuga, a member of the Student Diversity Board’s executive team, sought to encourage connections in the classroom and curriculum. In January, she emailed faculty asking them to celebrate the Black experience and  influence in their subject areas. Along with an extensive guide she prepared, which outlined resources for teachers in every subject area from mathematics to physical education, Grace wrote: “I hope this inspires conversation in your classes to learn more about people they didn’t know before. This is my way of honoring those who paved the way for African Americans like me and asking the school to support me and the African American students in Loyola. I hope each class is able to participate in this.”

Dance Teacher and Loyola Academy Dance Company (LADC) Director Debbie Henslee invited guest speaker Kia Smith to her Honors Dance classes via Zoom. Smith is the founding executive artistic director and resident choreography of South Chicago Dance Theatre, a multicultural organization which aims to preserve the art of dance through quality performances and educational opportunities. “Dance is a form of cultural diplomacy, you can relate to anyone in any part of the world as a dancer,” Smith said to Ramblers. As part of their discussion, Smith shared videos of two dance performances, one set to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech and the other to “I, Too, Am America” by Langston Hughes. Both highlighted the importance of unity and having a voice. 

In the math classes of Ms. Melissa Krein, students researched Black mathematicians and recorded presentations via FlipGrid to share with their classmates. At the end of the month, her students played a team-based online game to test their knowledge.  

On social media, daily posts from the Offices of Student Activities and Diversity, Inclusion, Cultural Competencies, and Equity (DICE) included important moments in Black history and recordings of students reading a poem a day from A Wreath for Emmett Till by Marilyn Nelson (2005). Students were encouraged to learn about natural hair by viewing a student-created and narrated video that can be viewed here. 

Virtually, students participated in weekly Kahoot competitions and were encouraged to continue their education and reflect on the impact of slavery in America through videos, articles, and podcasts.

Loyola’s African American Youth Group (AAYG) presented “A Message to My High School Self,” a virtual discussion featuring panelists Andrea Jackson, Bethel Kifle, Eric Boone and Keenan Rhodes. Students learned the importance of building a strong supportive network both in their personal, academic, and professional lives.   

 

Dress down days on Wednesday, February 10, and Thursday, February 11, helped to raise money for Westside Coalition, a nonprofit started by BIPOC Rambler alumni Taquarius Earl ’12 and Fredrick Reed III ’12 that works to strengthen communities on Chicago’s Westside and make real change happen. Students were able to wear black, red, green or yellow on top  to represent the colors of the Pan-African flag. 

 

On Thursday, March 4, during the final African American Prayer Service, the following students and staff were honored in the Chapel with leadership wards: Alanmakiayu Diabor ’21, Christ Goncalves ’21, Wosilat Fatuga ’21, Omaru Konneh ’21, Amaiya McCord ’21 and Ms. Beatrice Shoular of the Dean's Office.