Sharing Black History Month through stories

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This article was published 24/02/2025 (251 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A duo of elementary schoolers in River Heights has spent much of the month reading stories about Black characters and experiences to their peers — a project the girls pitched to their principal at the start of February.

New student-led read-alouds at Robert H. Smith ensure community members can simultaneously celebrate Black History Month and I Love to Read Month.

Nine-year-old Vienna Spencer and Sofia Mena Copete, 11, have been scanning their personal and school library shelves with a mission to better educate other children about the struggles and accomplishments of Black Canadians.

Angela Copete said she was inspired by her daughter’s passion “for making her background, culture and history visible.”

“Without a doubt, it is a reflection of her commitment and love for her Black ancestry,” the mother said, noting the immigrant family — they left Colombia for Canada in 2022 — has Latin roots and proudly recognizes their African lineage.

Don’t Touch My Hair by Sharee Miller, an American author and illustrator, is among the storybooks that the girls selected to share with their classmates.

The title is about the life of a young girl with an afro who cannot escape curious hands, no matter where she goes or how fantastical her environment is.

“This story teaches important lessons to young kids. It teaches respect for people’s differences and helps them understand that it’s not OK to touch someone without their permission,” said Sofia, a Grade 5 student at Robert H. Smith, a nursery-to-Grade 6 site in the Winnipeg School Division.

Vienna and Sofia gave a presentation on the project to parents and teachers who gathered for a community meeting at their school this month.

Principal Adam Dyck said the students approached him in early February to see about visiting classrooms to spread awareness about equality and Black history.

“This is 100 per cent on their own,” Dyck said, adding he is incredibly proud of them for taking initiative and coming up with a schedule to run read-alouds.

The girls’ teacher has helped them execute their vision in recent weeks.

By the end of the month, they will have visited all 14 of their school’s classes, in addition to joining several reading buddy groups and speaking at an assembly.

Their roster of books includes Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o, I Am Enough by Grace Byers and three titles belonging to the Little People, Big Dreams series — on civil rights activist Rosa Parks, jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald and author Maya Angelou, respectively.

Vienna said the members of a multi-grade class in River Heights believe that sharing stories can help bring communities together by helping neighbours better understand each other.

“A world without differences would be pretty bland,” the Grade 4 student said.

She said the girls hope their read-alouds teach peers about the importance of kindness and respect while making sure Black students feel a sense of belonging in the building.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca