By Southwester Staff 

The Southwest Neighborhood Assembly History Task Force (SWNA HTF) cordially invites you to our 2021 Virtual Annual Black History Program on Monday, Feb. 22, at 7 p.m., via Zoom. The 2021 Black History theme is “The Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity.”  

Kenneth Ward, Executive Director, College Bound, Inc.; Courtesy of Author

Established by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, an organization founded in 1915 by Dr. Carter G. Woodson, this year Black History Month returns to its roots with a new focus on Black family ties and explores the wide-ranging diversity of Black family life – from single to two-parent households to nuclear, extended and, more recently, bi-racial.

Emceed by SW resident Kenneth Ward, executive director of College Bound, Inc., the program will welcome and introduce the Richard Wright Public Charter School for Journalism and Media Arts, the first and only public charter high school in SW which is now located on School Street. Guest Speaker Dr. Marco Clark, founder and CEO Richard Wright PCS, will speak to this year’s theme while simultaneously sharing about the various programs offered at the school. 

 Dr. Marco Clark, Founder and CEO of Richard Wright Public Charter School for Journalism and Media Arts; Courtesy of Author

The mission of Richard Wright PCS for Journalism and Media Arts is to transform students in grades 8-12 into well-versed media contributors by providing a student-centered environment that connects them to the classics and modern languages, and a curriculum focused on strong writing skills and vocabulary. In addition, Richard Wright Student Ambassador Skye-Ali Johnson will present her segments on the importance and significance of the newly refurbished Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, which was recently featured on ABC 7 News WJLA. To round out the program, SWNA education and scholarship Task Force (ESTF) recipient Benjamin C. Sands, Jr. will perform a musical rendition.

Founded by SWNA HTF Subcommittee Chair on Black History Thelma D. Jones in 1985, SWNA has held a Black History Program almost annually since its inception, including being the founder and inspiration for the creation of the Black History Program hosted by the World Bank Group-IMF Staff African American Association. Both SWNA and the World Bank programs feature local students, especially from Southwest. 

For information on the program, please email thelma@swna.org or call (202) 251-1639. Program coordination is also assisted by SWNA ESTF Chair Vyllorya Evans.

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