Representation matters, because it fuels student success
Honoring Black History Month
black |
history |
month |
As we enter Black History Month, we aim to celebrate, honor and drive awareness to the importance of black history and heritage and to amplify underrepresented voices and perspectives. It is an opportunity for teachers, students, families and neighbors to become more unified as a community by celebrating the accomplishments of black Americans.
Fairmont es AAPAC Black History Month | a celebration of local creative talent
Program Description
The 2023 Fairmont AAPAC Black History Month is a multi-day in-person program, in observation of Black History Month, intended to highlight and celebrate the successes of creative black professionals in our local community.
One of the goals of this event is to expose students at Fairmont Elementary School to the breadth of career paths, and to encourage and inspire them to consider pursuing careers in fields that use creativity, imagination, and entrepreneurship. This will be an unique opportunity for students to hear anecdotes, get advice, and gain perspectives about career options, opportunities, challenges and potential barriers, and keys to success from local African American residents working in creative and expressive fields that require talent, skills, and a sharp business-mindset.
This program is intended to be an in-person event on campus and open to WCCUSD Fairmont students at all grade levels, pending teacher expression of interest and availability. To participate, each classroom teacher will need to confirm their interest in bringing their classroom to the Multipurpose Room on one of the two proposed dates. Selection will be based on first come first serve basis.
This year, we are excited to have guests who will be talking about the following creative and artistic professions:
Fine Art, Writer, Poet, Business Owner, Podcast Host, Site Coordinator, Councilmember, Architect, Advisor, Illustrator and Digital Artist, and Narrative & Documentary Film Producer
To foster collaboration, creativity, the imagination, and entrepreneurship, all Fairmont teachers will be provided with a list of activities and supplies required for the activity. They are encouraged to run these activities during the month of February. To participate, teachers will need to complete this form by Friday February 10, 12 pm.
The 2023 Fairmont AAPAC Black History Month is a multi-day in-person program, in observation of Black History Month, intended to highlight and celebrate the successes of creative black professionals in our local community.
One of the goals of this event is to expose students at Fairmont Elementary School to the breadth of career paths, and to encourage and inspire them to consider pursuing careers in fields that use creativity, imagination, and entrepreneurship. This will be an unique opportunity for students to hear anecdotes, get advice, and gain perspectives about career options, opportunities, challenges and potential barriers, and keys to success from local African American residents working in creative and expressive fields that require talent, skills, and a sharp business-mindset.
This program is intended to be an in-person event on campus and open to WCCUSD Fairmont students at all grade levels, pending teacher expression of interest and availability. To participate, each classroom teacher will need to confirm their interest in bringing their classroom to the Multipurpose Room on one of the two proposed dates. Selection will be based on first come first serve basis.
This year, we are excited to have guests who will be talking about the following creative and artistic professions:
Fine Art, Writer, Poet, Business Owner, Podcast Host, Site Coordinator, Councilmember, Architect, Advisor, Illustrator and Digital Artist, and Narrative & Documentary Film Producer
To foster collaboration, creativity, the imagination, and entrepreneurship, all Fairmont teachers will be provided with a list of activities and supplies required for the activity. They are encouraged to run these activities during the month of February. To participate, teachers will need to complete this form by Friday February 10, 12 pm.
schedule
Wednesday, February 15th | 1 pm - 2 pm (PST)
Assembly for Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Grade classrooms Welcome Address
|
Thursday, February 16th | 1 pm - 2 pm (PST)
Assembly for 4th, 5th and 6th Grade classrooms Welcome Address
Closing thoughts | Principal Heather Best |
Tuesday, February 28th | 1:30 pm - 2:00 pm (PST)
Final Closing Assembly Black History Month Welcome Address
Closing thoughts | Principal Heather Best |
description of Components
Keynote:
Each day will kick-off with a keynote address from a distinguished guest, who will share what Black History Month means to him/her/them and why it should matter to everyone. He/She/They will share a few thoughts on career selection and tips on how to succeed through school and in the professional world.
Presentations:
There will be a series of short presentations from black practicing professionals working in creative fields. During these short presentations, the guests will be asked to describe what their job is, what they do day-to-day, highlighting their achievements, successes, greatest prides, and any challenges/barriers they have encountered throughout their career and how they overcame them.
Q&A:
There will be a 15-20 minute moderated question and answer period, during which student audience participation is encouraged. It is suggested that for each session, there is a designated individual (i.e. teacher or parent) who is acting as the moderator.
Art Creative Activity:
Throughout the month of February, teachers will have the option to engage their students in a creative / design activity which fosters creativity, innovation, expression, and cultivates imagination, curiosity and entrepreneurship. All Fairmont teachers will be given a list of potential classroom educational activities to expand the imagination.
Most of these activities do require supplies.
Each day will kick-off with a keynote address from a distinguished guest, who will share what Black History Month means to him/her/them and why it should matter to everyone. He/She/They will share a few thoughts on career selection and tips on how to succeed through school and in the professional world.
Presentations:
There will be a series of short presentations from black practicing professionals working in creative fields. During these short presentations, the guests will be asked to describe what their job is, what they do day-to-day, highlighting their achievements, successes, greatest prides, and any challenges/barriers they have encountered throughout their career and how they overcame them.
Q&A:
There will be a 15-20 minute moderated question and answer period, during which student audience participation is encouraged. It is suggested that for each session, there is a designated individual (i.e. teacher or parent) who is acting as the moderator.
Art Creative Activity:
Throughout the month of February, teachers will have the option to engage their students in a creative / design activity which fosters creativity, innovation, expression, and cultivates imagination, curiosity and entrepreneurship. All Fairmont teachers will be given a list of potential classroom educational activities to expand the imagination.
Most of these activities do require supplies.
Guest speaker profiles
Salathiel Bluitt | Fairmont Parent & AAPAC Co-chair
Salathiel grew up in Mississippi. He moved to the Bay Area back in 1999 where he attended Berkeley City College formerly known as Vista Community College in Berkeley, CA. He graduated magna cum laudi with an associate degree in Computer Information Systems and received a scholarship from the Peralta Association of African American Affairs where he was able to attend San Francisco State University for free. He first began volunteer work in the community when he ran for the KPFA Local Station Board back in 2004 while still a student at San Francisco State University. As a result of not winning the election, he was appointed chair of the KPFA outreach committee working on behalf of KPFA in order to reach out to local communities in the greater bay area. While at SFSU he discovered that the Black Studies program at SFSU was the first in the country and he knew that he could not follow the traditional educational path of getting a degree focused only on a career. He graduated with honors obtaining a special major in Management Information Systems and a minor in Black Studies. Salathiel is an IT consultant with over 20 years of experience in the industry and currently serving as African American Parent Advisory Council (AAPAC) Lead for West Contra Costa Unified School District and co-chair for AAPAC Fairmont Elementary. |
Wednesday, february 15 - 1 pm
Carolyn Wysinger | El Cerrito Councilmember (she / her)
Carolyn Wysinger is a longtime West Contra Costa County resident and community activist running for El Cerrito City Council. Wysinger emphasizes leading economic growth and recovery, ensuring an equitable and transparent budgeting process, prioritizing community safety, supporting housing for all, and expanding El Cerrito’s climate leadership. Carolyn brings over 25 years of community service experience from her leadership on local, regional, and statewide boards.
Carolyn Wysinger is the former 3rd term San Francisco Pride President and was recently appointed by Supervisor John Gioia to serve on the Contra Costa County Library Commission. Carolyn works as the Education Coordinator at the Commonwealth Club of California. You can read more about Carolyn on her webpage here. |
Carol Corr, NOMA, AIA, LEED Green Associate | Architect & Kaiser Permanente Advisor (she / her)
One of Carol’s passions is community service. She believes we are put on this earth to contribute; always learn and always put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Carol joined Kaiser Permanente (KP) National Facilities Services (NFS) in 2005 and moved to KP’s Operations Risk Group in 2016. In her previous roles at KP, Carol served as the NFS Design Program Manager and played a major role in the Template Hospital Program, which enabled KP to deliver nine hospitals in twelve years. Her more than 30 years of experience includes a variety of building types ranging from high tech, commercial, laboratories, affordable housing, to healthcare at a number of Bay Area and Detroit Firms: Chong Partners, Ratcliff, Powell & Partners, GEZ, Ehrlich-Rominger, Del Campo & Maru. Carol is an Oakland, CA resident and enjoys the arts (music, photography, drawing, and tap dancing), spending time with her mom and her poodles, travel, and community service. |
Arthur Norcome | Watercolor Artist
Arthur Norcome is a California-based painter, who creates abstract watercolor paintings. His paintings are attempts at capturing emotions that come from unexpected places. Almost every day, he creates a sketch that is a snapshot of where his brain is that day -- a visual journal of my mindscape. Arthur’s work is an investigation of control vs chaos by using blocks of color and bold strokes to add structure and stability to the mediums' desire to run free. His work also explores watercolors' natural luminosity. Arthur earned his BFA in illustration from the California College of Arts and Crafts and his years of illustrations and logo design are a prominent influence on how he uses shapes, colors, and lines within his work. He has recurring yearly shows with the Art of the African Diaspora and the Invisible Atelier and is regularly shown in other venues within the San Francisco bay area. Arthur is a resident of Hercules and his daughter, Dasia, attended Fairmont Elementary School from Kindergarten to 5th grade. To read more about Arthur and to see some of his works of art, visit his webpage here. |
thursday, february 16 - 1 pm
Theodore Hollingsworth | Narrative & Documentary Film Producer
Pixar Animation Studios Theodore Hollingsworth is a narrative and documentary film producer based in Oakland, California. He produces films that showcase the varied stories and cultures of black people and people of color. He studied film production at Howard University and has been producing for over fifteen years. Currently he is a department manager at Pixar Animation Studios. Check out some of Theo's work on his webpage here. |
Jamar Logan | Illustrator & Digital Artist (he / him)
Born in San Francisco and raised in Oakland, Jamar Logan is an Illustrator and Digital Artist who currently resides in El Cerrito with his wife and son. When he develops his illustrations, Jamar’s primary media include paper and #2 drawing pencils, and graphical illustration software programs on a computer. These tools are used to draw cartoon characters, illustrate comic books, and create artwork for magicians. |
Wood Rowe (MC Radio Active) | Founder and Owner at Illskillustrations and Other Creations by Mc Radioactive, Creative Designer at QURE Nano CBD and Event & Publicity Coordinator at Pulse Arts, Former Vocalist
Born in Lynn, Massachusetts, Tsumnu (pronounced "Some New") is now located in Northern California. He has had a life-long passion for art, music and Hip Hop culture and is also an award-winning emcee, freestyler, songwriter, and a master beatboxer. The recipient of two gold records, multiple “Best of the Bay” awards, and numerous other accolades, he has performed around the world for audiences large and small. Drawing and painting from a young age, Tsumnu’s artistic style has evolved over the years. Pulling from a tapestry of diverse life experiences – from the streets to world travels, and much in between – his art is infused with emotional richness and tells an unexpected story. True to the core, Tsumnu embodies the positive energy of Hip Hop culture and he strives to celebrate and preserve humanity, connection, creativity, and life in his art. For more info on Tsumnu, please visit his home page. |
Tuesday, February 28th - 1:30 pm
Michelle President | Fairmont Parent & AAPAC Co-chair
Michelle is a California native who moved to the Bay Area in 1997 to attend UC Berkeley. She graduated from Cal with a BA in Integrative Biology and a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies focusing in mythology. After college, Michelle began working in the pharmaceutical industry where she currently supports GxP learning and development activities. While working in the pharmaceutical industry Michelle became involved in employee resource groups, including the African American Hispanic American (AAHA) and RISE which both supported black employees within the company as well as sponsoring events and activities at local schools. Michelle is currently serving as co-chair for Fairmont's African American Parent Advisory Council (AAPAC) . |
Janey Swearington | Poet, Business Owner, Podcast Host, Site Coordinator for BACR (she / her)
Janey Swearington is a young Black Woman from Oakland, California. She is a Poet, a Business Owner, Podcast Host, and Site Coordinator! Before any of these titles were attached to her name, she was just a young girl trying to find her purpose in this world. She didn’t see many examples of what to do or who to be... but she saw, heard, and read enough examples of who she didn’t want to be. This was her motivation to figure out who "Janey" wanted to be! She is a tough cookie because she has been in situations a lot of people wouldn’t be able to tell by looking at her. All of the things she has accomplished and all of these titles are nicely attached to her name, but who Janey Swearington is, she is a survivor. She is proud to be the model for all of the children and people out there who feel like sunshine doesn’t exist in their worlds. Janey became a Site Coordinator because this was her chance to hire people who can have a safe space to figure out their purpose and passions. She absolutely loves being a part of that Village to help raise our students! |