A Celebration of Black History Month at Poly

It was a busy and beautiful Black History Month at Poly! Every K-12 division designed programming that thoughtfully focused on celebrating Black culture and contributions throughout history. 

In the Upper School, the Black Student Union (BSU) hosted an assembly titled "Black is Breaking Barriers,” as proposed by student leaders Akira B. ’25, Nathan M. ’25, Ava T. ’25, Elissa H. ’26, Kristina P. ’26, and Lennon S. ’26. BSU co-advisor and Library Media Specialist Karen Barton shared, “I believe the theme embodies so much of what Black History Month is for, which is to acknowledge the difficult journey—literally and figuratively—of African-Americans and celebrate our perseverance and accomplishments despite the challenges we face in this country.”

BSU secretary Elissa H. ’26 shared that many in the Upper School community reflected immense joy from the assembly which featured meaningful speeches and artwork from student leaders, performances, and a spread of soul food. There was also a special performance by a choir led by local musician Candace Lacy. “We thank them for bringing such great energy, uplifting our spirits, and making it such a memorable event,” said Elissa.

In the Middle School, thanks to the Black History Month faculty committee, Lakers legend and NBA Hall of Fame inductee Michael Cooper spoke to students about his journey as an athlete. Michael also has a special connection with Pasadena as he graduated from Pasadena High School and played at Pasadena City College. His Lakers jersey was recently retired following postponed games due to the Los Angeles wildfires. It was a meaningful moment for Michael, who has also called Altadena home.

Grammy Award-winning bassist Ben Williams also visited the Lower School, teaching students about the history of Black influence in music, thanks to Jackie Lewis, Briana Tracy, Nick Montecino, and Stevie Clark. The assembly had students laughing joyfully thanks to Ben’s cool and playful demeanor, stringing together student emotions for original songs while teaching important music and history lessons.

On February 22, Poly’s Black Family Alliance hosted a meaningful gathering of Black families and friends on South Campus. Parent leaders Llisa Prater ’00, P ’36, Tara Newman ’92, P ’32, ’34, and Olishua McClain-Durham P ’28, ’29 shared, “As we continue to support our community post-fires, we wanted our event to create a celebratory atmosphere, as our title embodied that spirit, ‘Black Cultural Celebration.’” The event started with the collective singing of the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” led by Poly sophomore, Shayla Starr ’27. The celebration also highlighted the Divine 9 fraternities and sororities, which have produced some of the most dynamic African American leaders of our time. This included a step show with energetic performances from members of Alpha Phi Alpha, Inc., Phi Beta Sigma, Inc., and Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc., of which several Poly parents are alumni. Attendees also learned about the history of Double Dutch jump rope and participated in Double Dutch jumping themselves. Families also enjoyed arts and crafts and games chosen to reflect activities offered during Black family gatherings. 

Across all divisions, organizers uplifted Black voices in recognition of this historic month. Elissa shared, "Black History Month is such a pivotal time because it forces America to reflect on its past; however, it also brings together the Black community and presents itself as a chance to showcase the contributions the Black community, both in and out of Poly, has made. In the future, I hope we will continue to have a Black History Month assembly and take time to recognize my community. Although we make up a small percentage of the school population, our contributions impact much more than ourselves."