Black History Month Presentation | February 26, 2020

By Tyler Kleim

​Interview - Student Presenters

​Interview - Ms. Shirley Matlack
How did you get involved with the presentation?

Cynthia Bosquet (11th grade)- “I was asked by Mrs. Dawn White (Vice principal) to be apart of it.” -

What does it mean to be a part of the black history presentation?
Cynthia Bosquet (11th grade)- “It means a lot especially being black you want to get your point across."

Rownie Mehu (11th grade) -  “I think it is important for people to know about black history.” 

What does black history mean to you?
Nehemie Metayer (9th grade) - “It shows how I can express myself as an African American and learn more about my history and where I come from and also to inform others about our history”-

How does knowing your family history affect your life? How has it changed you? 
Nehemie Metayer (9th grade) - “It shows how being African American in America has shaped us from then to now.”
How long did the students work on their presentations?
All students met with me the first week in February and were given flash drives. Their research was saved to the drives. Two students did not research and two students did not want to speak during the presentation (but they changed their minds a week before the scheduled dates). Our last meetings were on 2/21 and 2/24. I was in need of an additional speaker. I was given a student's name. I contacted her and informed her on 2/21 that the research was complete; she agreed to present.
If you had one word to describe Nottingham's Black student body, what would it be?
The word to describe Nottingham's student body would be “diverse.”
How did this year's presentation differ from years past?
I produced information boards for each presentation. The students that were involved in the 2019 presentation were willing to do independent research. The seating arrangement in the library was like that of a lecture hall (open semi-circle). I believe that the absence of tables to lean on, the inability to talk to others at your table without focusing on the presenters, and the request to take out their phones and then put them away might have lowered cell phone usage.
What do you hope is the teaching lesson for students?
Most students had their first experience in public speaking. I hope through the conversations we had during our meetings that they became more aware of the history of African-Americans in the United States, the need to vote, and the importance of research.