Milwaukee City Wire

Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) is observing Black History Month throughout February, with a range of activities aimed at highlighting the contributions of Black Americans in U.S. history. Students across the district are engaging in research, rehearsals, art creation, and event planning to commemorate these contributions.

Black History Month was initially a weeklong event in 1926 before expanding to a monthlong observance in 1976. MPS has a school named after Ralph Metcalfe, an American politician and Olympian who played a role in establishing February as Black History Month.

Several events are planned across the district. On February 12, Dr. George Washington Carver Academy will host a Black History Museum for families. The Milwaukee School of Languages will feature a Black History Pop-Up Shop on February 19, offering goods from various vendors.

The African American Male and Female Teach-In at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School on February 20 will bring mentors into classrooms to discuss careers and community building. Washington High School of Information Technology will hold an American Black History Program on February 21.

River Trail School of Agricultural Science will present "A Celebration of Black History Throughout the Ages" on February 25, featuring musical performances by students from different grades. Richard Kluge School will celebrate African American leaders and inventors on February 26 with "Rise and Shine!"

Maryland Avenue Montessori School's Black History Gallery Night is set for February 27, showcasing student projects and performances. On February 28, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School will host a "Black Wall Street" program as part of its celebrations.

Harold S. Vincent School of Agricultural Science and Riverside University High School also have events planned for later in the month.

In addition to these events, River Trail School students are participating in the George Washington Carver Peanut Butter Contest under teacher Joshua Gonzalez's supervision: "They will dump it in," he says about the expected use of sugar during the contest.