Unsung Black Heroes

Throughout African American history, there have been many historical figures that we, as students, learn about in school and are taught their contributions to not only Black History, but to American history as a whole. 

Some of these figures are Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, and Fredrick Douglass. While these notable pioneers helped to achieve near-impossible tasks during their respective time periods and struggles, there are countless heroes who fought for the rights and freedoms of African Americans today who don’t even get taught about in many curricula in school. 

To help remedy this glaring issue, AP African American Studies, run by Mrs. Brennan, displayed posters of these “unsung heroes” in the hallway outside of room 231 for all to see and learn.

The purpose of this project was to display influential but forgotten heroes so students can learn more and appreciate the courageous people who paved the way for Black excellence. 

One example of this is Jupiter Hammen, a Long Islander who Mrs. Brennan described as influential because he was the first African American poet, paving the way for Phillis Wheatley, the first female African American poet. Without these heroes, African Americans’ role in poetry would look completely different today. To learn more about these heroes, you can stop and read about them on the bulletin board outside of room 231.

Learning about underappreciated icons that allowed the amazing Black presence in America to become what it is today through struggle and hardship is just one of many great reasons why AP African American Studies is an extraordinary class that all students should consider taking. It is important to note that this class is only available for incoming seniors. 

According to the teacher of this course, Mrs. Brennan, “It (African American history) is our history as Americans, and we need to know how the African cultures that were brought to this country shaped it.”