North Indy News

UHS Black Affinity Presents on Black History & Culture Throughout Black History Month

Throughout Black History Month, University’s Black Affinity student organization has given school-wide presentations for every morning meeting and seminar period in February to share and celebrate black history and culture with the school community. 

“[These presentations] give students the opportunity to learn from each other and to share about topics that are important and relevant to them,” said Black Affinity Faculty Co-Advisor Lade Akande. “It also ensures the month keeps a celebratory tone and a creative approach to sharing about Black history and culture.” 

Students from every grade level have presented on topics covering a wide range–from Black fashion, dance, music, aviation, and Black Hollywood, to the Divine Nine sororities and fraternities and a recap of the 2022 HBCU College Tour. All of these topics are student-led and go beyond the surface by exploring themes and topics that honor past, present, and future contributions from our black community. 

“The topics we’re talking about are things that we’re not necessarily taught in our classrooms, so we’re giving people more of our history to let people know that black history is American history,” said Ashley Ndebele, Black Affinity President. 

Black Affinity’s initiative to provide presentations throughout Black History Month began in 2021 as a student idea. The group prepares the presentation schedule in the months leading up to February, and students have the opportunity to choose topics that they’re interested in and passionate about. 

“Our kids do a lot of research and enjoy sharing what they find with us and their peers. It is a beautiful thing to see year in and year out,” said Faculty Co-Advisor Justin Blanding. 

This fall, UHS began a first-of-its-kind high school course on Afrofuturism. Students in this course were required to produce three distinct long-term projects. Several of these projects will be shared during the final assembly of Black History Month. 

In addition to Black History Month presentations, the student Black Affinity group leads several other initiatives and activities throughout the school year, including the Student Diversity Conference, fundraisers, collaborations with other clubs on campus, Black Affinity Graduation Celebration, and the HBCU tour during the fall semester.

President Ashley Ndebele says that attending a Black Affinity meeting as a shadow student helped solidify her decision to attend University. 

“It was such a good community. I wanted to be part of something that I never really had the opportunity to be part of when I was in middle school.”

In her final year at UHS, Ndebele is intentional to lead the organization to continue its strong tradition of advocacy for the black student community, of support within the black student community, and of really putting into practice the core values of the school. 

“I just want people to really want to be proud of who they are and know what they can accomplish,” said Ndebele. “That’s why I’m so into this club, because I also want people to feel like they have a safe place.”

Original source can be found here.