Event helps recognize the contribution of African-American authors
By: Nick D’Amore
Students at Indian Fields School were regaled with stories and literature written by African-Americans as part of the school’s Black History Month celebration on Feb. 7.
The day’s events were sponsored by the Black Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English. This was the second year that Indian Fields held the African-American Read-In event, which was organized at the school by basic skills teachers Brenda Herschberger and Peggy Paolo.
"The event helps to recognize the contribution of African-American authors," said Ms. Paolo.
Mayor Debra Johnson, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum Willa Spicer, as well as parents and South Brunswick High School students were dispatched to various classrooms throughout the day to read books to elementary school students in their classes.
High school students in attendance belonged to the club the Unlimited Few.
"We do all types of volunteer activities and a lot of charity events," said senior Rashad Majied.
Tiffany Simpkins, a junior member of the club, said the Unlimited Few tries to unite different ethnic groups throughout the township by focusing on their histories and culture.
"We each have knowledge on each other’s cultures," she said.
Rakiya Venable, a junior, said the club also is involved with the Freedom School, a summer program where books written by black authors are read to elementary school children.
"It helps improve the reading skills of students in K-3," she said.
The SBHS students and the other speakers were all sent to their first classrooms by 9 a.m.
Ms. Spicer’s first stop was at Joan Kee-Louie’s kindergarten class, where she read the book, "Aunt Flossie’s Hats (and Crab Cakes Later)."
Opening to a picture of the city street where Aunt Flossie lived, Ms. Spicer, donning a straw hat, asked the kindergartners seated at her feet, "This doesn’t look anything like South Brunswick, does it?"
The students responded, "No," in unison.
Mayor Johnson meanwhile was reading "Coming Home: From the Life of Langston Hughes" to Michelle Kleinman’s fourth-grade class.
Reading aloud and holding the book out for the kids to see, Mayor Johnson asked questions about passages she had just read and explained how the story relates to modern life.
She read to the students how Hughes’ father, James Nathaniel Hughes, had lost his job as a lawyer because he was black.
"It’s kind of sad, but things are better now," Mayor Johnson told the students. "Now I’m a lawyer."
The story also tells how Hughes’ uncle, John Mercer Langston, was the first black man to hold office and how his grandfather was a Buffalo Soldier in the Civil War.
Ms. Herschberger said she was pleased with how the event had gone, especially with the SBHS students.
"I was gratified by talking to the Unlimited Few students. They are fabulous and are role models for any population. I was pleased that they felt proud to spend much of their day with us," she said.
Ms. Paolo said all of the guests enjoyed taking part in the event.
"The guest readers had a wonderful time. Their comments are always positive," she said.
Ms. Paolo said the school will be registered with 13th National African-American Read-In Chain and will send the information about how many people attended the event and what books were read to the National Council of Teachers of English. After that, the school will be recognized as having hosted an event.
"The council’s goal is to have a million readers," she said.
Principal Ray Ivey said the program fits into schoolwide efforts to have the students read authors from varying backgrounds.
"At Indian Fields, we make a special effort to diversify what kids read," he said.