On Wednesday, March 5th, P. S. 276 The Louis Marshall School, located at 1070 East 83rd Street, hosted an encore performance of their Black History Month celebration, which was first showcased on Friday, February 28th, under the theme, “Rediscovering Excellence.”
The auditorium was plastered with images of African-American trailblazers in areas of politics, music, sports, inventions, civil rights, activism and more. President Barack Obama, Shirley Chisholm, Whitney Houston, Beyonce, Kobe Bryant, Muhammad Ali, Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman were among the dozens who were recognized for their leadership.
A tribute to all the pioneers was on full display in the school’s gymnasium, which had been converted to a museum. It showcased replicas of black inventions such as the helicopter by Paul E. Williams, wooden clocks by Benjamin Banneker, the ice cream scoop by Alfred L. Cralle and the fire extinguisher and sprinkler system by Thomas Marshall.
The students paid homage to the heroes, with poetry, such as “And Still I Rise” and “Phenomenal Woman” by Maya Angelou. They performed various dances (and the teams really stepped up) including a dramatization about World War II’s 6888 (the Six Triple Eight), an all-female, African-American Army Battalion, led by Colonel Charity Adams, the Army’s first black female officer.
The celebration also included prizes for students who provided correct answers to trivia questions about black history.
