STUDENTS DISCUSS BLACK HISTORY MONTH

What was the civil rights movement? Where was the bus strike that made Rosa Parks famous? Who was George Washington Carver and for what is he famous?

These are questions many twenty- or even thirtysomething Americans might have problems answering, but that isn't so for students at Alma Schrader and May Greene elementary schools.

Principals at the schools said they are commemorating Black History Month this month with speakers, assemblies and a variety of classroom lessons. The month helps to share with students the culture and achievements of African Americans as well as the importance of working together, they said.

"I think it gives the students some knowledge of past history that perhaps shows them how important it is for people to work together to be successful," said Alma Schrader principal Frank Ellis.

May Greene principal Dr. Barbara Kohlfeld agreed. "Our students are learning a lot through a variety of different programs," she said. "We want them to know how to work together to get something accomplished."

Students at Alma Schrader said their teachers are focusing classroom lessons on little-known black inventors as well as famous black Americans. Very often, university students who visited classes to read last week reinforced those lessons in their choice of reading material, they said.

"I liked the books," said Kevin Drews, 9. "They told us about Martin Luther King's life and that George Washington Carver was a scientist who made peanut butter and used the peanut for a lot of other things."

Emily Ponder, 9, said she was most interested in learning about sit-in demonstrations that occurred during the civil rights movement.

"I learned music that they invented and that Martin Luther King got people to sit in front of places until they let them come in," she said. "I thought they were pretty brave."

Mareesa Branigan, 9, said what she remembers most was a speech given during an assembly earlier this week by her principal. "He told us about Martin Luther King and Abraham Lincoln and George Washington," she said. "They all fought for liberty."

Students at May Greene said they had many of the same lessons. They said February is an important month because it encourages people to love and to be fair to others, just as their school motto does.

"February has Black History Month and Valentine's Day, and that's important because this school is the school with a heart," said Malaysia Moore, 10. "We learned about people who fought with their love and peace and heart instead of violence."

Isiah Bell, 9, said Black History Month was important to him because it encourages people to be firm in their beliefs. "Everybody's supposed to stand up for their beliefs and play with each other," he said. "Grown-ups should do the same."

Charles Franz, 9, said he had a message for all grownups: Black History Month "is a big deal" and everybody needs to be kind to each other.

"It's a big deal because you're supposed to have equal rights, and if you didn't it would be too hard to live," he said. "You should remember you can't judge people by their skin but by their goodness and evilness. Brothership and sistership are always going to last your entire life."