Celebrating Black History

Two hundred people crowd into the pews of the historic Morris Brown AME Church hoping to catch a glimpse of the action and relive a crucial turning point in history. The building is filled with joy and music. Everyone is singing and dancing in anticipation for the New Year. As the music starts to fade away, a preacher takes the stage to reflect on the history of the tradition and hope for the futu...

Here at Wando we are celebrating Black History Month. To honor this month several of our staff members have interviewed Wando students about important, inspirational and influential black Americans that have enriched our culture throughout history with. Here is what Wando students had to say about which black Americans had the most influence on them.  

Lewis Howard Latimer (1848-1928): Born to runaway slaves in 1848, Lewis Howard Latimer was a prominent inventor that helped with multiple inventions. His most famous achievements include both contributions to the telephone and the lightbulb, which he was able to aid with under the shadow of larger, more prominent inventors like Alexander Graham Bell, Hiram Maxim and Thomas Edison. He was a valuable a...

Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960): Hurston is an author and anthropologist who is known for her writing on African American folklore, Mules and Men and her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God. Her Barracoon: The Story of the Last Slave was published for the first time last year and was on the best-seller list.   Langston Hughes (1902-1967): A social activist during the Harlem Renaissance, Hu...

Colin Powell (1937 -   ): The son of Jamaican immigrants, Colin Powell is a retired US Army general and Vietnam veteran who has served in the high-ranking positions of the Secretary of State, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and National Security Adviser under three presidents. He was the first African-American to hold most of these positions. As Chairman of the JCS, he was famous for his role...

Robert Smalls (1839-1915): Smalls was an enslaved African American who escaped in a confederate supply ship and fled to the north. He later managed to become a sea captain for the Union Navy. Smalls became both a businessman and politician, serving in the South Carolina legislature.   Anna DeCosta Banks (1869-1930): Banks was one of the first graduates from Virginia Hampton Institute’s Hospital of Nur...

Yinka Shobinare (1962 -    ): African installation artist, Shobinare, challenged traditional European art with the traditions of West African prints and skin tones, pairing the sculptural figures with darkened skin. His art challenged the ideas of colonialism, post-colonialism and globalization, through appreciation of African culture.    Basquiat (1960-1988) :This contemporary artist, character...

“A Change is Going to Come” - Sam Cooke  Sam Cooke, king of a soul ballad, was known for his love tributes in his songs, but later in his life, he turned his attention to activism, releasing this song that was quintessential and an anthem for the Civil Rights Movement. This song has been covered and repeated for generations because of its significance in black communities.    “Ca...