By Diane Malinski,
ELL teacher,
Lewiston High School
The first annual celebration of Black History Month took place in February at Lewiston High School. Preparation for the event began when students Farhiya Mahamud and Isha Mahamud approached ELL teacher Diane Malinski and Principal Patrick O’Neill with the idea. Activities included a poster contest with a Black history theme, won by Kristy Bissette, as well as a library-sponsored Identify Famous African-Americans game, won by Meaghan Carr.
The culminating activity was an assembly held February 28. The emcees, Farhiya Ali and Hibat Sharif introduced students who gave readings from or about famous African-Americans, including such notable figures as Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Maya Angelou, W.E.B. Dubois, and Tiger Woods. Next, a procession of students dressed in traditional West African and East African clothing entered the gymnasium playing drums, shakers, and bells. Girls tossing flowers led in dancers who were dressed in black, and wore traditional, colorful Somali scarves. They performed an energetic and fast-moving dance number that contained elements of East and West African dances, and that they had choreographed themselves. Bernie Vigna and Laura Griffith from Bates College helped the musicians and dancers prepare for their performances.
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