Thursday, October 1, 2026
To celebrate Black History Month, students at Malverne’s Howard T. Herber Middle School enriched their knowledge and appreciation of black history and culture through a series of interactive activities.
During the announcements each morning, the music department played a different musical selection to highlight the history of African-American music. The social studies department organized a trivia contest, displaying throughout the school posters that outlined the accomplishments of African-Americans in each of the academic disciplines.
Each day, a trivia question based on information in the posters was broadcast during morning announcements. Winners were entered into a weekly raffle.
Students also visited the school library, where they took virtual tours of Africa and visited a virtual museum that outlined the contributions of famous African-Americans throughout history. In English classes, students recited poems written by their favorite African-American poets.
To round out their experience, students attended an assembly called “Tracing Our Roots,” which explored the wonder of African-American history through the power of dance, music and dramatic storytelling. Students traveled back in time with vocalist Wincey Terry to witness the origin of African dance, see how slaves used music to execute escapes on the Underground Railroad and experience the birth of the blues. Students were even invited up on stage to reenact the Soul Train disco show of the seventies.
––Danielle Lambert/Malverne Schools
