Throughout Black History Month, the students at The Calais School have been learning about various aspects of black culture and history. Students in Mrs. Ritter’s Social Studies class have been learning about the migration of freed slaves from the South. They’ve also learned about the origins of jazz music and studied the influential works of various black artists. In Literature class, students participated in in-depth discussions about Martin Luther King’s impact on America. They examined his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech and developed their own dream speeches based society as we know it today.  Students watched “Remember the Titans” with Mrs. Gallapo and the discussion afterwards was so engaging that students continued it beyond their group counseling session. Mrs. Braen’s students worked on a fun project that involved selecting and researching an influential black American from the past 100 years. Students then took the information they discovered to create posters that are displayed in the hall way.

On Monday, February 11 the high school classes of Mr. Mitchell and Ms. Braen were visited by Mr. Kevin Brooks, Calais’ Artist in Resident, to discuss some of his contributions to society and culture as a black artist.  Notably Mr. Brooks appeared on the weekly TV series “Tell It Like It Was.” “Tell It Like It Was” aired in Philadelphia from 1967-69 and was one of the first of its kind to feature an all African American cast. The show was filmed in a 30 minute format and exemplified African American history and lore via story, song and art.  As co-host, Mr. Brooks performed as singer/guitarist and artist, who drew and painted the featured stories, narrated by singer and host, Dallie Muhammed.  The two episodes Mr. Brooks sampled and discussed with the students included: “When Freedom Came” and “Langston Hughes.” The former was nominated for a Peabody Award in 1969. When asked about his experience in the 1960s, Mr. Brooks explained, “Responding to ‘the call’, I was honored to be part of a life altering, experience and to affect change in American History.  Always remaining  humble even within celebrity,  my purpose as an artist, musician, and educator is to continue to bring people together by celebrating our differences, similarities, and endless possibilities.”

Other major highlights of Mr. Brooks’ career include painting The Colin Powell Time Line Mural to honor the retired Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This mural graces the lobby along with three other murals in the Colin Powell Elementary School, Union City, NJ. He was also asked to be a part of a famous sculpture created by George Segal called “Bus Passengers.” Mr. Brooks is the person standing, holding the rail, if you google search the sculpture.

Aside from his work at The Calais School, Mr. Brooks is currently creating art for The Contraband Historical Society, located at the historic Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia. The artwork was commissioned to commemorate the journey of contraband slaves.  This celebration/observation will be held May 4th, 2019 at Fort Monroe.