The student news site of The Archer School for Girls

The Oracle

The Latest
  • March 17The Holi celebration will take place at 10:30 Friday, March 22, on the backfield.
  • March 17There will be no late busses Friday, March 22.
  • March 17Spirit Week events will take place from Monday, March 18, to Friday, March 22.
The student news site of The Archer School for Girls

The Oracle

The student news site of The Archer School for Girls

The Oracle

Instagram Feed
Email Subscription

Archer Celebrates Black History Month

Archer+Celebrates+Black+History+Month

The last celebration for this year’s Black History Month was on Thursday Feb. 27.Sophomores Marcela Riddick ‘16, Kendra Casey ‘16 and Shelby Mumford ‘16 run the Black Student Union and are advised by faculty members Heather Keddie, Lane Fischman, Amelia Mathis and Andrea Locke. Together, they explore and share the importance of African American culture, culminating in the month-long celebration of Black History Month.

The student leaders were eager to share their experiences. On Fridays, they implemented traditional music in the courtyard and a delicious cultural feast at the end of the month.

Although students felt the food was an important aspect of African American culture, some speculated about the BSU’s decision to bring food to the Archer community. The fine line of stereotyping and celebrating culture needed to be defined.

Carondelet High School, an all-girls Catholic school in northern California, had a similar dilemma. When they planned to celebrate Black History Month with fried chicken, cornbread, and watermelon, the community was outraged.

The story spread all the way to New York Daily News. The article explains how these foods have “been used to caricature African Americans—in the same way that minstrels once used blackface.” Essentially, journalist Carol Kuruvilla writes, “the well-intentioned students stumbled into a complicated history.”

In order to avoid this dilemma but not deprive Archer of the experience, the BSU searched for other methods to celebrate their culture. Coach Amelia Mathis suggested making the celebration like a typical Sunday supper in the south, which is where most traditional African American food comes from.

According to one anonymous source, “I felt connected to my roots and I really enjoyed [the] food and sense of family. I thought they did a great job.”

Leave a Comment
More to Discover

Comments (0)

As part of Archer’s active and engaged community, the Editorial Board welcomes reader comments and debate and encourages community members to take ownership of their opinions by using their names when commenting. However, in order to ensure a diverse range of opinions, the editorial board does allow anonymous comments on articles as long as the perspective cannot be obtained elsewhere, and they are respectful and relevant. We do require a valid, verified email address, which will not be displayed, but will be used to confirm your comments. Because we are a 6-12 school, the Editorial Board reserves the right to omit profanity and content that we deem inappropriate for our audience. We do not publish comments that serve primarily as an advertisement or to promote a specific product. Comments are moderated and may be edited in accordance with the Oracle’s profanity policy, but the Editorial Board will not change the intent or message of comments. They will appear once approved.
All The Oracle Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *