Thursday, October 1, 2026
Elmont Memorial High School hosted a Black History Month celebration that integrated Black cultural elements into a fashion and talent show, drawing hundreds of attendees in support of student performances.
The show was sponsored by the Spartan Club, a parent organization that raises funds for initiatives such as scholarships, particularly for up-and-coming seniors.
Selene Ferdinand, 13, a pageant title holder and founder of Meera Empowerment, played a key role in the fashion portion of the show. She created looks for both the multicultural and formal wear segments. Ferdinand said the cultural aspect of the show was especially meaningful to her because it allowed her to incorporate traditions and different cultures and present them in ways that connected with the audience.
“Especially since it is Black History Month, being able to bring that culture to the fashion show,” Selene said.
One portion of the fashion show, called the “Bring it to Life” segment, was described by Selene as “bringing mannequins to life.”
The talent segment featured performances by the school dance team, as well as solo and duo acts. Each participant dedicated significant time and effort to prepare for the event.
“They put in so much dedication,” Selene describes the performers as “all so talented”.
Selene’s mother, Savitre Ferdinand, worked backstage during the production. Acting like a “stage mom,” she said she enjoyed collaborating with students and witnessing the strong turnout from the community.
“It gave me joy just to work with the kids,” Ferdinand expressed how she felt helping out with the show. “The result out of it, it was very amazing, and gave me joy.”
The audience responded enthusiastically to the performances. According to Ferdinand, the energy in the room was so high that some students lost their voices from cheering.
“My son came home, lost his voice,” Ferdinand mention how everyone was having so much fun with all the dancing and music.
Corlette Anderson, who has been part of the Spartan Club for the past decade and currently serves as vice president, said the event was previously held in May. However, that timing often conflicted with end-of-year academic demands. Principal Marya Baker suggested moving the celebration to February in recognition of Black History Month.
One standout performance for Anderson was a song performed by Darlie Fevry, titled “A Change is Yet to Come.”
Anderson recalled hearing Fevry sing in the hallway during auditions.
“I was like who is this, who is this?” Describing the moments realizing how much of a voice that she has, and saddened that she is a senior and will be leaving soon.
With strong attendance, high energy and dedicated student performers, organizers described the event as both meaningful and memorable for the school community.
