On Wednesday, February 16, Rock Island High School's African American Heritage Club hosted a black history program for the school. The program was held in the auditorium and live-streamed so the whole school could watch.
The club along with the African American Leadership Society and the Rock Island County NAACP is hosting a series of black history events all month. This year's theme was Black Excellence: Academic Excellence. The program highlighted black history and told the story of Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, the oldest historically black college in the country.
The keynote speaker was Rocky grad, Thurgood Brooks. Brooks talked about the skills needed to achieve black excellence, "Be persistent, keep an open mind, have a passion, have self-discipline and patience," said Brooks.
The program also included poetry from students, a performance for Essence W. Dance Troop, and the RIHS Choir.
The club's advisor, Dr. Yolanda Grandberry Pugh said the students came up with the idea and spearheaded the entire thing.
She says the program was hosted in hopes of not only teaching students about black history but achieving their own academic excellence, "We wanted to help students develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for the positive aspects of African American history and culture and to encourage them to continue to strive for academic excellence," said Dr. Grandberry Pugh.