Battle High School celebrated Black History Month in a variety of ways this February. One constant was a pop-up art display showcasing Black Battle students’ art in the guidance office. Students were encouraged to visit and enjoy the pieces throughout the school day and were able to do so. Students are able to showcase their pieces through art classes and by partnering with art teachers.
Smaller aspects of the festivities, which lasted all month, included daily fun facts about Black history in the morning announcements and Black artists’ songs playing during the passing period. T-shirts and stickers created by students were available for purchase; these could be spotted around the school, displayed by both students and teachers. These were fun ways to remind people of the impact and extent of Black excellence in the world.
To kick off the celebrations, the Battle MAC scholars held the first-ever Black History Trivia Night on February 1. Part of the event included a silent auction for attendees as well. Some of the items featured in the silent auction were a grill and a year’s supply of bundt cakes from Nothing Bundt Cakes. Stakeholders and people in the community generously donated these items. “That’s how we were really able to fund most of our stuff, through people who cared in the community to really enhance our experience,” said Mr. Roman Leaphart, who is a MAC scholars coordinator. The money raised from ticket sales and the silent auction goes back into the programs. The hope is to be able to give out scholarships in future years, provided by the funds.
There was also a soul food lunch sponsored by the MAC scholars on February 5. “They completely run everything. We start cooking early that morning, made the food, they made everything, and then they served it, they collected the money,” said Mr. Leaphart. This lunch is one of the staples of the celebrations each year.
Another big event that many students look forward to is the food truck day featuring a variety of Black owned businesses. Originally supposed to be held on February 19 due to complications with snow days, they rescheduled to February 24. This year, there were five options for students to choose from with the new addition of The Spot. To organize, they reach out to Black owned businesses that have food trucks in November to prepare for the highly anticipated food day.
