Black History Month 2010: Obama Continues To Inspire At East New York School
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As we continue our Black History Month coverage this week, NY1’s Education reporter Lindsey Christ looks at how a middle school community in East New York views the Obama presidency one year after his historic inauguration. You can't walk into a classroom, down a hallway, or into an office at I.S. 292 without seeing Barack Obama’s image.
Teachers and students say it's because the president's story has become their collective inspiration – pushing them to work harder, behave better and aspire to greater things.
“In this community, you don't see a lot of people to aspire to,” said I.S. 292 Principal Everett Hughes. “If you read the newspapers, this is the highest crime rate, the highest murder rate, the highest everything in the whole city. So to see someone like Obama, to see what he has done, and I can always say, ‘you can be Obama, if you just try.’”
“He's the person who is really going to make us change, and change our ways, in how we work in school and stuff,” said one student.
“Knowing me, since I am a black young kid, tells me that it’s possible for many African Americans to do something with their life,” said another.
The school has gone through its own transformation in the past decade, from being known as one of the worst city schools to being honored for strong test scores, a warm environment, and an exceptional arts program.
At I.S. 292, Black History Month is expanded into a three-month theme, spanning all grades and all subjects.
“If you don't know your history, you don't know where you're from and you don't know where you are going to,” said the principal. “It is very important for our students to know from where they come from so they can have something to look forward to.”
While sixth graders focus on slavery, seventh graders reconstruction, and eight graders civil rights, all students study current events shaping future Black history lessons. And, they don't just study, they act.
In this high-poverty school, community service is part of the culture, which they say the president's example also encourages. Recently, all students read a book on child soldiers and began projects to raise awareness.
“We started talking about Red Hand Day and about child soldiers and about how we at least want to do something to stop it, even if it is little,” said a student.
More than a year after students and teachers traveled down to Washington for the inauguration, they say Barack Obama's presidency continues to have a profound impact on everything they do in this school.