![Saint Mary’s celebrates 14th annual African American Read-In]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1644522315/sms/seyyzldnwie2inrvakw9/AFAMReadIn20221.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1644522315/sms/seyyzldnwie2inrvakw9/AFAMReadIn20221.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1644522315/sms/seyyzldnwie2inrvakw9/AFAMReadIn20221.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1644522315/sms/seyyzldnwie2inrvakw9/AFAMReadIn20221.jpg","width":968}])
Saint Mary’s School celebrated its 14th African American Read-In, Feb. 10, 2022, produced and presented by the Black Student Union and the Bookmark Club with participation from many interested students. The African American Read-In is a student-led annual event presented during Black History Month to highlight African American poets, activists, authors, musicians, artists, and others. This year’s theme was Finding Voice.
This year’s multi-media Read-In featured a hybrid virtual assembly broadcast to the whole school on Microsoft Teams from Pittman Auditorium; a recorded interview with author Nadria Givens with interviewers Izzy Liebowitz ’24 (Bookmark Club) and Morgan Kerr ’24 (Black Student Union); performance by the North Carolina Association of Black Storytellers (Beverly Fields Burnette, Evette Evans, Carolyn Evans, Pinkie Strother) in Kenan Library; an original poem, Music in Melanin, written and performed by Destiny Ellington ’23; special displays in Kenan Library; and Open Mic readings in Kenan Library to which classes and individuals dropped in throughout the day. The assembly also featured a group choreopoem, New Day, by Amanda Gorman, read by Black Student Union and Bookmark Club members Keithia Robinson ’22, Eliza Dunn Tillman ’23, Angelnafi Asare ’24, Ainsley Parkerson ’22, Sadie Egharevba ’25, and Annabel Semans ’22.
A Black History Month door decorating extravaganza kicked off for the rest of the month. Student and faculty book recommendations are posted on the bulletin board in Lower Smedes.
The National African American Read-In is the nation’s first and oldest event dedicated to diversity in literature. It was established in 1990 by the Black Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English to make literacy a significant part of Black History Month. This initiative has reached more than 6 million participants around the world. https://ncte.org/get-involved/african-american-read-in/
Thanks, to faculty/staff members, Dr. Tai Hinkins, Dani DiCenzo, Aisha Burton, and Diana Williams, for their support of our students in this important traditional event at Saint Mary’s this year.