For the week of March 25, the Black History Exhibit Project’s numerous banners describing African-American history in Frederick County lined the hallways of Linganore High School (LHS).
The twenty banners include historical connections to local landmarks, schools and churches that show the impact that African Amercians have had on Frederick County. The Black History Exhibit Project was started by eleven Oakdale High School (OHS) students under the leadership of Oakdale Teacher Kate Ehrlich.
The project is being rotated around Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) and LHS was included in this experience.
LHS Black and African-American Atudies teacher Joseph Hawkins took responsibility for getting the Black History Exhibit Project to LHS. Hawkins hopes that this educates students about how Maryland was once considered a slave state. He feels that learning about local history puts it in perspective for students that do not realize how these issues have affected Frederick County.
“Maryland was a slave state and in Frederick County,” Hawkins said. “So, we had slavery, we had racial violence, we had segregation all the way up until the 1960s. Learning about that history locally maybe puts it in a better perspective.”
Hawkins has heard from multiple staff members who enjoyed seeing the display, and he is hoping more students get to see the project before it travels to the next school.
Principal of Linganore Dr. Michael Dillman expressed how the display highlights the important things about Frederick County related to Black History. He finds it provides a good opportunity for awareness.
“I just hope it’s a chance for people to say, ‘oh wow’, I didn’t know that this was linked up or that this person was involved in something that is connected [to Frederick County,]” said Dillman.
Dillman thinks it is important to always have fresh and new educational opportunities for students outside the classroom.
Junior Jill Lotito also finds it beneficial for LHS to have displays like this one because the information listed on them is not something students typically learn about.
“It lets them [the students] know all the issues that have occurred in history with African-Americans, the things that have happened, the things currently happening, and the things that could happen again,” said Lotito.
