Classroom doors honor Black history in Barnstable. Here's how.
HYANNIS — Instead of sitting idle during his in-school suspension, Adrian Simon, 13, created a first-prize-winning Black history door display at Barnstable High School.
"The project signified Black people who made differences in the world," said Simon.
The "From Chains to Change" display featured a door-sized fist mounted on Associate Principal Hope Taylor's classroom door, surrounded by a colored array of about 700 paper fists — each adorned with the names of Black historical figures, and Black men and women who died as a result of police brutality, said Asia Litchman, 14, a student who helped with the project.
"When I researched Black history and started writing the names of all these people who did so much, along with the many lives that were lost throughout history, I learned that I wanted to make change too," said Litchman.
The project was one of many colorful and in-depth Black History Month displays that can be found on doors throughout Barnstable High School and Barnstable Intermediate School.
Teachers have been decorating classroom doors for Black History Month for about 10 years, said Elizabeth Freedman, principal of Barnstable High School. But in the last two years, both schools started a classroom door display competition as well.
"It has become an opportunity to come together and celebrate Black history, as well as one another," said Freedman. "We are a diverse school and we are proud of that."
Competition leads to difficult conversations
The competition, which was judged by school faculty and staff, as well as outside judges, gave students and teachers the chance to hold difficult conversations about race and diversity, said Freedman. The school, she said, is dedicated to honoring people of all kinds — beyond the month of February.
"This is important work that needs to be done to build up our community and each other," she said.
Jason Conetta, principal of Barnstable Intermediate School, said the competition celebrates inspirational Black heroes who made history and empowered dialogue between students, staff and faculty. The winning doors at Barnstable Intermediate School included Room 227's "The Little Rock 9;" Room 232, "Historic People-Representation Matters;" and Room 250, "Core Values/MLK/R.I.S.E."
"This month-long activity is a great way to open the door for conversations around the importance of diversity and the power of how diversity makes us who we are at Barnstable Intermediate," said Conetta in an email.
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A hard choice for judges
State Rep. Kip Diggs, D-Barnstable, helped judge the door displays for the competition at the high school.
"When these kids see various people that look like them that have achieved so much, it shows them they can also be a positive part of society," Diggs said.
Students say their voices can create change
For Grace Condinho, 18, a teacher assistant at the high school, the project created moments of affirmation for students. Condinho, along with Paisley Powers, 17, created an image of a Black woman on their classroom door and included quotes from inspirational Black people from history that surrounded her face and three-dimensional Afro-spiraled hair.
"The idea was to use your voice to say something you believe in, which can initiate change," said Condinho.
Kaylee McFarland, 13, a pianist and a singer, based her door display on music. Images of Black musicians including Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson and Mary J. Blige draped her classroom's doorway.
"I celebrate Black music because it’s very important in my life," said McFarland. "Black people are influential in American history and we deserve and need to be recognized."
Teachers find new ways to learn
Nyanyika Banda, culinary arts teacher at the high school, incorporated groups of students to create a door display that honors Black food culture, she said. Prior to the competition students watched "High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America," and students researched influential Black chefs from the past and present. Handwritten reports were then used to decorate Banda's classroom door, which came in third in the competition.
"We created our door based on the work we had already done throughout the year," said Banda. "I wanted to show the kids how intentional they could really be."
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Brent Jansson, a business and history teacher at the high school, said he watched his students flourish as they created his door, and accompanying hallway art that featured pictures of Black figures such as Langston Hughes, and Black entrepreneurs such as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Local faces were included, such as Diggs, who is also a former boxing champion, and current local high school students.
"We had students that wanted to be on the wall along with these amazing figures," he said. "That is a living example of how our students can embrace history, and be inspired, resilient, and creative."
Contact Rachael Devaney at rdevaney@capecodonline.com. Follow her on Twitter: @RachaelDevaney.
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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Classroom doors honor Black history in Barnstable. Here's how.
