Schools
Greenport School Highlights Black History Month Activities
Greenport High School students will get a chance to meet a Tuskegee Airman at its Soul Food Luncheon on Friday.
With one of the most diverse student bodies on the North Fork, the Greenport School District has a variety of activities scheduled to celebrate Black History Month and introduce its students to the struggles African Americans faced during World War II.
High School Principal Len Skuggevik said Tuskegee Airman Lee Hayes, who grew up in Amagasett, will be visiting the U.S. History classes on Thursday, Feb. 16 to discuss the role the Tuskegee Airmen played during World War II. The term Tuskegee Airman refers to all African Americans trained in the U.S. Army Air Corps to fly and maintain planes during World War II in a special segregated unit. At the time African Americans were denied leadership roles in the military and were not trained to fly planes.
Skuggevik said Hayes will be honored at the school’s annual Soul Food Luncheon as well. The Soul Food Luncheon was started as a potluck lunch years ago by staff member Barbara Taylor. Skuggevik said the luncheon is open to adults and students during their lunch periods. Food will be served in the board room.
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“It is food that’s good for the soul,” he said.
On Feb. 29, high school students will view “The Wereth Eleven” with executive producer Joseph Small. Skuggevik said the movie discusses the roles African Americans played in World War II and tells the story of eleven African American soldiers who were murdered by German SS officers after they surrendered during the Battle of the Bulge. The movie was released in 2011 to try to expose this little known war crime.
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Skuggevik said teachers throughout the school will be honoring Black History Month in their curriculums as well, but this year the district worked to bring in Hayes and the movie to show students a side of history they may not normally be exposed to.
“Since I’ve been here, the school has traditionally had one assembly and the teachers have done different projects,” he said.
The month began with assemblies for both the high school and elementary school featuring African American stories and songs.
