July 30, 2024 – From conducting interviews to visiting historic sites, studying local African American history has come alive for students like Jadon Alexander.
“I learned a ton about the Gullah Geechee,” says the rising Paxon School for Advance Studies senior. “We went to Durkeeville, we went to the Ritz…so that’s definitely the part that gets my brain going.”
For the second year, Alexander participated in the district’s African American History Summer Writing Institute. Students research local black history and write curriculum that teachers can access and incorporate into their classes. Some of this year’s topics of study included Music and Arts in LaVilla, African American Architecture, and the Evolution of African American Baseball.
“It’s so empowering to see kids open their eyes to local black history that they didn’t know about and the rich traditions that exist in their own community that they had no idea were here,” says program instructor and Duval County Public Schools educator Michael Steinhardt.
Our Team Duval News crew visited students as they presented their findings at a recent principals’ gathering. Watch our video to learn more about the institute’s impact on students and our curriculum.
