With Black History Month coming to a close, Niagara Charter School students showed off their month’s long work.
A group of 16 students were part of the school’s Black History Month Living Museum, held in its gymnasium Thursday afternoon. Each student, from kindergarten through sixth grade, gave a presentation on an important African-American figure they were assigned, spending the month learning about them.
“We have students representing each grade level that are representing different influential figures,” said Aimee Gonzalez, the school’s data coordinator.
The people ranged from civil rights advocates Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, athletes Jesse Owens and Jackie Robinson, and even NASA figures Katherine Johnson and Mae Jemison. Other students and the public got to see these presentations throughout the day.
Sixth-grader Osis Wallace did his presentation on Muhammad Ali, going through all the challenges he faced during his boxing career.
“Even after he went to jail, he still got back into the ring,” Wallace said.
Fellow sixth-grader Giavonna Briggs’ presentation was about Madam C.J. Walker, who was the first African-American female millionaire in the country through her cosmetics company. She used her wealth to fund scholarships, charities and homes for the elderly.
“Since she was losing her hair, she thought of a way to make her own products,” Briggs said. “And she made them specifically for black women.”
Third-grader Kamari Banks offered a presentation on Barack Obama, learning that besides being the 44th president of the United States was also a lawyer and law professor.