Commitment to Honoring Black Excellence

At Brimmer’s Lower School, we believe Black history is not confined to a single month. Black history is American history, woven into the stories we tell, the voices we amplify, and the learning experiences we create throughout the year. Our commitment to honoring Black excellence, resilience, creativity, and leadership is an ongoing part of who we are as a community.

 

Each February, during Black History Month, we take the opportunity to elevate this work with special intention. We pause to reflect, celebrate, and engage our students in meaningful experiences that deepen their understanding of the contributions Black individuals have made and continue to make across our nation and our world. This month is both a celebration and a call to continue building a more just, inclusive, and informed community.

 

One meaningful way we elevate Black history and culture this month is through student leadership and community connection. On Friday, February 20th, our fifth-grade Diversity Lunch Bunch will lead a Black History Month–themed SHARE for the entire Lower School. After a brief theater presentation highlighting the significance of Black History Month and our school-wide focus on Black music, students across all grades will come together in buddy pairs and trios for an activity designed by the Diversity Lunch Bunch. 

 

Each group will receive an oversized music note and be invited to write or illustrate song lyrics that reflect how music makes a difference in their lives and in the world. This joyful, reflective project connects our students not only to the power of music as a form of expression, resistance, and celebration in Black history but also to one another. Later in the month, the Diversity Lunch Bunch will create a community display featuring these lyrics, serving as a visible reminder of how student voices can contribute to a shared culture of learning and belonging.

 

Black History Month is also reflected in meaningful ways across our Lower School classrooms, where students explore Black history and excellence through literature, science, art, social-emotional learning, and interdisciplinary study. In each of our classrooms, Black History will be integrated into student learning and connected to classroom units and themes. From notable artists and musicians such as Alma Thomas and Duke Ellington to more contemporary inspiring scientists such as Mae Jemison and Katherine Johnson, our students will learn about the multitude of contributions Black people have made in our country for decades, along with the bravery it took to pave the way for those who followed and will follow in their footsteps. Classroom lessons are intended to connect with the thematic work in each grade and are also deeply connected to our Core Values and our social and emotional focus in the Lower School.