Students from every school in the district staged a variety program in the high school auditorium as part of their unified culmination of Black History Month. This multifaceted evening revue, called "Celebrating the African American Impact on Our World," showcased the scope of their talent and the measure of their in-school training.
After the formal introductions, the grass-skirted Archer Street Dance Team was first to perform. Bayview Avenue followed with a series of biographical sketches called "Still Life in Action," which paid tribute to the deeds of world-changing African Americans. One highlight of these interstitial portraits was a surprise guest vocal solo by District Coordinator of the Arts Anne-Marie Hudley Simmons, who portrayed contralto Marian Anderson. High school student Isaac Zellner's tribute to Alvin Ailey was another showstopper.
Columbus Avenue School students performed via pre-recorded DVD, followed by lively musical numbers from third graders of New Visions and Leo F. Giblyn Schools. The Select Chorale from J.W. Dodd Middle School then sweetly serenaded the audience, after which the Atkinson School's 21st Century Dance Class rocked the house with a lively mix. The show reached its apex with the pitch-perfect harmony of the Freeport High School Senior Select Chorale singing the spiritual "Soon Ah Will Be Done."
