THOMASVILLE — In front of a packed out Washington Middle School cafeteria on Thursday night, the Jackie Robinson Boys and Girls Club put on their Black History Month Program. The program was filled with dances, skits, musical performances and speeches showcasing the talent of all of the youth of the Jackie Robinson Boys and Girls Club.
The skits and performances centered around African-American culture as well as a few Christ centered performances. Performances featured songs like “My Inspiration,” “I Love Who I Am,” and “Everything”. Other performances depicted African-American kids struggling with the world around them and finding hope and rescue in Jesus.
There were several speakers including Jackie Robinson Boys and Girls Club CEO Lee Wagner, Chair Donica Williams, Cairo Mayor Booker Gainor and Club Director Stephen Francis. Much of the speaking centered around the club and the importance of investing in the youth, who were called “the future.”
“A lot of us we look into the stock market, we hear about the stock market, but the best investment we can make is in these young people,” said Gainor.
The performances were capped off by staff members, as they joined the young children of the Jackie Robinson Boys and Girls Club in a rendition of “We are the World.”
Chair Monica Williams then took the podium to discuss the future of the Jackie Robinson Boys and Girls Club. She spoke on the new teen center and their efforts to work more closely with the Marguerite Neel Williams Boys and Girls Club of Thomasville. The Jackie Robinson Boys and Girls Club is a sub-set of the Thomasville Club and the organization is making strides to be seen as one organization.
“A much needed change that will bring about more opportunities for the Jackie Robinson Boys and Girls Club and our children,” Williams said.