Celebrating Black History Month

February 7, 2023 | Mercy Updates

The month of February marks the celebration of Black History Month in the United States. The Center for Racial Justice in Education reminds us, "the histories, stories, and voices of Black people should be centered, honored, and uplifted in school curricula every day."

At Mercy, we are grateful for our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee (DEIB) and our teachers who have prepared a calendar full of Black History Month celebrations that include art installations, writing workshops, guest speakers, authors, and arts events. Continue reading below for helpful resources and updates on special events and projects at Mercy.

"No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream." - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Amos 5:24)

In honor of Black History Month, students from all levels helped to create a beautiful art installation in Mercy's parlor. Centered around Dr. Martin Luther King's quote, students cut out letters (Upper El) and water droplets (Lower El), painted and colored droplets (Preprimary), and wrote on the back of letters where they want to see justice achieved (Junior High).

Some of the letters share:

For everyone to be seen as equals and human beings
Equal opportunities for everybody
Equity for all, Equal rights, Kindness, Anti-violence, Equality all races, We are equal
Respect for others beliefs
Littering
Women's rights, equal pay
To end global warming

Our Special Guests

Author, Alek Teague, will be visiting our Preprimary Classrooms to read her book, The Magic Inside.

Alek Teague, a Cincinnati native, is an educator, mentor and basketball coach. After graduating from The University of Toledo, she discovered her passion for children while working at Cincinnati Public Schools. Alek strongly believes that no matter what you look like or where you come from, everyone should be able to experience the same opportunities without any limitations. Growing up, she was often bullied and learned to overcome the struggles of having low self-esteem; Alek learned that becoming more self-aware was a powerful antidote to her struggles. In her down time, Alek enjoys spending time with her family, volunteering, and playing with her dog, Drizzy.

Alek recently partnered with the Clovernook Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired to print The Magic Inside in Braille so that each one may read and discover their own unique magic inside, which is her first children’s book of an inspiring upcoming book series. Learn more at Alek's website: amarchelle.org

Soul Palette will be visiting our Kindergarten students to create a painting together. Soul Palette creates custom paint experiences and works of art large and small to celebrate any occasion. It doesn’t matter whether it’s cultural, social, leadership-based, educational or spiritual…to put it simply, we bring soul to the arts industry.

We are Brandon & Ewaniki Hawkins, husband & wife team married not only in love, but also in our passion for mentoring and legacy building. Between us, we have over 19 years of mastery in art, events management, and education. We launched in January 2016 and have been bringing our unique brand of art appreciation into private and public spaces ever since.