Students at Dutchess BOCES’ Salt Point Center are learning about historical African American figures through fun and creative activities to celebrate Black History Month.
Students in Ms. Magali Cruz’s class made a poster spotlighting Ruby Bridges, who advanced the cause of civil rights in 1960 when she was the first African American student sent to an all-white school in the South. Students shared their thoughts on the poster with the message of “Compassion Makes Change” in mind.
A poster hangs outside of Mr. David Felipe’s classroom titled “Learn from Black History.” It features pictures of prominent African Americans such as abolitionist Frederick Douglass, dancer Misty Copeland and President Barack Obama with phrases like “Dance Like Misty” and “Reform like Frederick” accompanying them. Students who take classes with dance and theater instructor, Kathy Muenz got into the rhythm of African American history by tap dancing. Its origins lie in African American culture. “Tap originated in the streets,” Muenz explained. “It’s using the rhythms of drums and stomp.”
Muenz finds students become interested in the history when she has shown her students a clip from the 1943 film “Stormy Weather” featuring the Nicholas Brothers and their superb tap dancing skills. The brothers are considered some of the best tap dancers of their generation. “It’s an eye catching number,” she said. “They were really popular in their time and brought tap into the popular realm.” When Muenz breaks down tap dance instructions in basic terms, she finds students can then easily participate and the allure of wearing tap shoes is another motivating factor. “I always tell them it’s percussion with your feet,” Muenz said. “I want them to feel like they can accomplish something.”
