Students in New Rochelle High School’s Social Studies Honor Society engaged in three concurrent projects in February in honor of Black History Month.
The first cohort of students researched an overview of segregation within New Rochelle and continued through the modern-day success stories of local black business owners. In their presentation, students addressed the Lincoln School case, in which the United States Supreme Court ruled in 1961 that New Rochelle’s education system was segregated. They also studied the landmark 1954 Supreme Court Brown vs. Board of Education case, which outlawed segregation in schools, and the transfer policy for students in the New Rochelle district. In their research, students continued to highlight influential leaders who impacted New Rochelle as well as shed light on the local black business owners within the community.
A second group of students partnered with the Art Honor Society has developed a plan to paint some of the school’s lockers with titles from influential African-American authors, social activists, and others who have demonstrated excellence in fields ranging from the arts to the sciences and sports.
The final group of students read chapters from Professor Mia Bay’s book, “Traveling Black.” Bay is a professor of American history at the University of Pennsylvania. The group developed a slideshow on the Civil Rights Movement through the lens of African-American travelers, and facilitated a discussion on the topic via Zoom, on Feb. 28.