Whiteville Elementary School Brings Black History to Life Through Museum
Whiteville Elementary School (WES) students presented a Living Black History Museum on Thursday, March 2, 2023, on the school campus. All who toured the museum were welcomed by eager students who were ready to share what they learned.
Visitors to the museum traveled through significant periods of Black History while being introduced to notable figures during those times. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his infamous “I Have a Dream” speech to a gathering of spectators.
Tent City, also called Freedom Village, was in Fayette County, but had a temporary placement in the WES gym.
The city provided shelter for blacks who were evicted from their homes during the Civil Rights Movement, because they registered to vote.
Students escaped through the Underground Railroad seeking freedom, and black inventors shared the products they made which bettered the lives of many. Several famous music artists performed to a crowd of fans.
The idea of the museum was spearheaded by WES nurse Katrina Boyle. Although she preferred the credit for the museum to be given to others, Boyle received high praise from her peers who, with the help of the students, faculty, and staff made everything come together. The students were not the only ones who learned something new during the planning and construction of the museum.
“I have learned multiple things such as the Tent City that was down in Fayette County. Also, what our culture (everybody) has been through, the history that has happened within the black community, and why it means so much to everybody,” said paraprofessional Mr. Agustin Munoz, who the students and staff refer to as Mr. A. “I am proud of the kids, the teachers, the faulty, and staff for the work that has been put into this event. It has been amazing.”
School secretary Connie Bufford and teacher assistant Lurean Price sang gospel songs as solos and together as a duet.
As each class prepared their display for the museum, many of the teachers learned alongside their students. Although the students had to memorize lines for the characters they portrayed, they presented the historic figures they represented with polished ease and a sense of real knowledge of who “they were”.
Kindergarten teacher Amanda Estes was familiar with the Tent City and Allen White School.
“I knew about both, but learned more information,” said Estes.
“Even as a person of color, I learned new inventions I didn’t even know black inventors made. As I visited the other sites, we found out there are a lot of things that happened, even at the Allen White School. I learned about black history heroes, and the Tent City blew us away, because it happened close to our neighborhood. It showed how people unified and survived,” said kindergarten teacher Shontel Gonzales. “We have a lot of children who look in the mirror and see colored faces and we want to promote them in knowing they can do anything they set their minds to. They can be the next inventors or millionaires. We want them to know that kindergarten is the start for them to soar anywhere they want to go!”
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