Celebrations recognizing February as Black History Month are currently underway at Saint Peter’s Prep and will continue through the end of the month.
Representatives of Prep’s Ebony Club—our oldest cultural organization currently celebrating its landmark 50th anniversary at Grand & Warren—have been leading us in daily prayer and have planned several other initiatives to help spread awareness and build community. Among those initiatives, they have designed exclusive t-shirts recognizing this extraordinary milestone.
On February 15, the Ebony Club sponsored a Dress Down Fundraiser and sold wristbands benefiting Zion Cares Community Development Corporation. Zion Cares CDC is a community-focused organization committed to making a positive impact on the lives of individuals and families in our community. Their work includes operation of a food pantry providing access to nutritious meals.
Students, faculty, and staff then gathered in the Hammer Heritage on February 20 for a Diaspora Breakfast organized by the Ebony Club in conjunction with the Spanish Club and Diversity Board. The event invited guests to learn about and try an array of dishes representing the cultures of African Americans, Afro-Caribbeans, Afro-Latin Americans, and Africans.
On February 21, a collaboration between the Office of DEI and Ms. Jaimee Laurie of the English Department launched Saint Peter’s Prep first ever Black Author Fair to celebrate the work of Black authors, poets, storytellers, and novelists throughout history.
It welcomed faculty, staff, and students to our lobbies to step into the rich tapestry of Black literature with our English I Honors students as they presented their research and literary analysis.
The event included a Black Author Passport book, in which students could receive a stamp or write one interesting fact they learned from visiting the various tables on-display.
Coming up next, a Black History Month PM in the AM (Prep Men in the Morning) session on February 28 will feature a panel that includes Brandon Wimbush, ’15, former Notre Dame quarterback; Clark Burnett, ’15, Associate Digital Producer; & John Carlos, former Olympic medalist.
The ongoing PM in the AM series of assemblies explores various topics relevant to the formation of Jesuit high school students.