Why a Black History Fair?

Jessica Fiddes

Posted March 3

The Gregory Room was a busy place during the Black History Month Fair on March 3.

Here we learned more about Martin Luther King's iconic I Have a Dream speech.

Student and faculty volunteers put a lot of time and effort into various displays...

...and this young man went beyond the calling of duty, making his own gumbo and chili.

Were they any good? Ask these guys...the line got longer and longer.

Around the room people talked music, sports, military lore and more.

The fellow on right was well versed on the famous Louis/Schmeling fight of 1938...

-- including the fact that the two opponents, one American, the other from Nazi Germany, later became close friends.

Mr. John Sanfacon talked about famous Canadians who made their mark in America.

In one corner there was an open forum on the topic of affirmative action.

That gumbo line just doesn't quit.

As we leave we spot another dialogue about affirmative action taking place, this time with a teacher sharing his perspective.

On March 3, 2010 Delbarton's History Club, moderated by Mr. John Thompson, sponsored a Black History Month Fair in the Gregory Room that was well attended by students and faculty. February was Black History Month but last month's originally scheduled date turned out to be a snow day. Thanks again, Ma Nature.

With an African American President in the Oval Office, a cynic might be tempted to ask 'Do we still need to talk about the history of black people in America?' That cynic should have dropped in at Delbarton's Fair, where an important exchange of ideas was going on. A group of student and faculty volunteers shared enlightening stories of black culture, music, sports and war heros. One student served up bowls of his homemade gumbo and chili -- "I love to cook," he reported and, boy, it showed -- while another talked about the famous Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling fight on June 22, 1938 that captured the attention of the pre-WW II world. (This was actually their second fight -- Schmeling had dominated Louis in the first. In this second, politically-charged bout the American Louis knocked out his German opponent in the first round...but did you know that that the fighters later became good friends, and that Schmeling was one of the pallbearers at Louis's funeral?) Martin Luther King's iconic 'I Have a Dream' speech was also discussed. We learned that in the "I have a dream... " portion of the speech King departed from his prepared text after gospel singer Mahalia Jackson shouted "Tell them about your dream, Martin!" Proof yet again that the best speeches are those made from the heart.

Probably the most fascinating and potentially incendiary part of the Fair were the two seminars on affirmative action, one moderated by a white student, and the other by an African American. Both provided open forums for dialogue that brought participants from several races together in understanding each others' perspectives. Teacher and administrators looked on and occasionally took part in the conversations, helping define terms and fill in facts. So, Mr. or Ms. Cynic, if you think race relations are a topic for yesterday, think again. At Delbarton people -- young and not so young -- talk about the painful past and a challenging present of race in America. The goal is for communication to produce mutual empathy, respect and understanding.

Black History month may be over, but at Delbarton the conversation (and learning) continue.