On February 20, we were honored to welcome Dr. Gerald D. Smith Jr., Education Specialist and Curriculum Curator at the Smithsonian Museums, to speak at the Middle School assembly as part of our ongoing celebration of Black History Month. Gerald's presentation focused on storytelling, solidarity, and Black voices in media, with a particular focus on the Black Panthers from the 1960s and the Black Panther movies from recent years.

Gerald asked the students to discuss what makes a story powerful before talking about the importance of storytelling for all cultures, but especially Black cultures, where "storytelling has always been about solidarity, survival, memory, and possibility."

Gerald also asked the audience to consider: "Who is allowed to narrate reality?" Are the people "in charge" telling the whole truth? How can we build solidarity across cultures and hear multiple sides of one story?