Black History Month's primary emphasis is on encouraging the teaching of the history of black Americans in the nation's schools... and over 50 years later, Black History Month is celebrated well beyond the classroom. Here at Northwood, Amanda N. '21 has led a podcast series (The '1619' Project), spoken at school meetings, and held inspiring discussions. Student-led projects provide the opportunity to develop leadership skills through planning and execution, and Amanda's project stems from her Humanities class.
"In developing and implementing student-led projects, Humanities Year Two students are able to evaluate their personal leadership styles. These projects serve as a platform to build on strengths and identify areas for improvement. Students begin by researching a topic of interest and then move forward with a well-informed project, with the ultimate goal of making a community impact." Heather Odell, Humanities/ French Faculty, Humanities Dept. Chair
More on 'The 1619 Project'
The ‘1619 Project’ podcast is an audio series created and hosted by Nikole Hannah-Jones, a New York Times writer. This podcast series puts the consequences of slavery and the development of the black race post-slavery into perspective. The ‘1619 Project’ reframes the way society has taught American History from 1619, the year the first African slaves arrived, to present-day America. The podcast series deliberates on how the history of African Americans ties into the oppression of Black people in contemporary society. It covers the systemic discrimination against Black people that was interwoven into American society. Nikole Hannah-Jones goes into depth about the American democracy, economy, access to medicals, music, agriculture, and how these historic moments affected Black Americans.