Buckley Celebrates Black History Month

February 6, 2026

On Friday, Buckley gathered for a special Black History Month assembly. Thoughtfully introduced by Adanna V. ’26, the assembly featured The Totally Awesome Traveling Black History Show, a live multimedia performance presented by Key Arts Productions. Through music, archival film clips, storytelling, and powerful imagery, students learned about pivotal moments in African American history. From the Harlem Renaissance to the civil rights movement, the program highlighted defining chapters in American history while celebrating the achievements of African American innovators, leaders, and artists. This vibrant celebration of history and heritage underscored themes of cultural diversity, community engagement, belonging, and the importance of understanding the many voices that shape our shared history. The energy in the room reflected the deep engagement of our students and faculty alike. As Joseph Patterson, President of Key Arts Productions, shared following the visit, “Thanks once again for a wonderful visit to Buckley Country Day School. We’re grateful for the opportunity to share a unique learning experience with your school community and pleased to receive positive feedback from your staff and students. The energy and enthusiasm in the room were truly awesome.”

In addition to our assembly, Buckley teachers throughout the school have been celebrating Black history in different ways. 5/6 English teacher Mike Faherty engaged his students during the February break with an invitation to read Lena Cline-Ransome’s Finding Langston, the coming-of-age story of a boy who finds solace after his mother’s death through the poetry of Langston Hughes. Mr. Faherty: “Students explored the genre of historical fiction by distinguishing fact from fiction, comparing the segregated libraries of Alabama with George Cleveland Hall Library in Chicago. We examined historical realities such as the Great Migration. They sorted the various push and pull factors that motivated millions of African Americans to leave the rural South for the urban North during the 20th century. The poetry of Langston Hughes played a pivotal role in the story. After analyzing famous poems such as “Dreams,” “Harlem” and “I, Too,” students created blackout poetry using meaningful passages from Finding Langston. Overall, students discovered how reading can be transformative when authors blend history and imagination.”

February offers a meaningful opportunity to intentionally center Black history within our curriculum, taking time to elevate the voices, achievements, resilience, and cultural contributions of Black individuals and communities, and ensuring students engage deeply with stories that have shaped our nation and world. Black History Month serves as a focused moment to reflect, celebrate, and learn with purpose. At the same time, Black history is not confined to a single month; it is alive in the curriculum we teach year round, woven into our studies of literature, science, mathematics, the arts, and social studies. By embedding diverse perspectives and experiences throughout the year, we affirm that Black history is an essential and inseparable part of our shared history, not an add-on but a foundational thread in the story we continue to learn together.

Click here for photos from our BHM Assembly, and click here to check out photos of students working on their poetry project in Mr. Faherty’s class.