2025 Celebrations of Black Excellence
By Audrey Parkin and Melina Galacatos, Online Editors
Photos by Audrey Parkin and Melina Galacatos
February is Black Excellence Month and many Acalanes students participated in celebrating significant Black figures of the past and present through a variety of schoolwide events and decor.
The focus of Black Excellence Month is to recognize the often-overlooked talents, accomplishments, and successes of generations of Black people.
“At Acalanes, we celebrate Black Excellence Month to not only celebrate the great accomplishments of our past, but also uplift and empower Black voices today,” Black Student Union (BSU) President and junior Ash Dawkins said.
To begin, classroom doors throughout campus featured famous Black figures, some including quotes and explaining their accomplishments. Featured figures included Barack Obama, Charity Adams Earley, Niel Degrasse Tyson, and Cynthia Marshall, among many more.
In addition to door decorations, students were encouraged to attend a variety of events to learn about Black excellence. Each classroom posted a calendar to track these events in addition to daily updates on Canvas detailing the upcoming events as well as information about Black figures from the 90s.
“All of our events are open to any student or staff interested in immersing themselves in Black culture, and we are hopeful that all of our students are able to engage in Black culture in meaningful ways,” Dawkins said.
BSU invited many students to engage in the celebrations and educational opportunities by collaborating with other Acalanes clubs to host meetings throughout the month.
The first of these meetings was BSU x Public Health Club on Feb. 12. Then, on Feb. 19, there was a BSU x Muslim Student Union meeting.
In the library during academy on Feb. 21, Dr. Ty Douglas, Associate Athletic Director at UC Berkeley, gave a presentation on Black excellence and the history of Black athletes.
Also on Feb. 21, BSU collaborated with the Feminism and Steminism clubs to host a potluck and movie night.
“We [had a] screening of the award-winning film Hidden Figures to spotlight Black women’s accomplishments and contributions to science. A potluck before the film [also] introduced students to new ethnic foods,” Dawkins said.
Feb. 26 brought a trivia event in room 314 at lunch on historical Black accomplishments, as well as current contributions.
The final event of the month was the Quad City Dance at Las Lomas on Feb. 28. It was a meeting point for students from all campuses within the Acalanes Unified High School District (AUHSD).
“There was something to do for everyone, from dancing to basketball games in the back,” junior Maya Shoenhair said.
Through February’s events, BSU and Leadership strive to uplift Black voices and raise awareness of the importance of inclusion.
“We hope that our students will take this opportunity to begin appreciating Black culture and use this knowledge and newfound curiosity to celebrate year-round,” Dawkins said.
