Kidsburgh: Steel Valley School District brings Black history to life
HOMESTEAD, Pa. (KDKA) - One local school district is taking Black History Month to a new level.
For the fifth year, the Steel Valley School District invited the Homestead community to celebrate Black history throughout the school.
History comes alive at Barrett Elementary in Homestead where storytellers share folk tales. Kids taste soul food and middle and high school students act as wax museum figures from history to today.
Pharaoh Conway, a senior at Steel Valley High School, said, "Jack Johnson was the first Black world heavyweight boxing champion, and he became that during the height of the Jim Crow era."
Conway comes to life as the wax figure of Jack Johnson, who's said to have inspired Muhamad Ali and Mike Tyson.
"I think it's really cool to celebrate our culture and educate the little ones about people they might not know about or people they do," he says.
Second grade teacher Jonette Bost wanted to make history fun and inspire the young students to dream big.
"We are here to celebrate all the Black excellence and joy and to make sure my children, our children, the community's children, hold their head up high and keep their crown on straight," Bost said.
Parents and the community are welcomed inside to celebrate the history and culture together.
The kids especially like learning that history is made in western Pennsylvania with figures like basketball player Swin Cash from McKeesport and the Homestead Grays baseball team.
First grade teacher Beth Catterall said, "The kids were totally amazed there was history right here so to put two and two together, that they were the Homestead Grays, that really hit home for them."
For more ways to celebrate and learn about Black history, go to Kidsburgh.org.
