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Celebrating Black History, Every Day!

At RPS, we understand that the recognition of Black History should never be confined to a single month but is at its essence a call for the celebration of black excellence and cultural achievements throughout the year. 

Black History Month Events

The dates and events below were part of the 2022-2023 school year. Black History Month events for the 2023-2024 school year will be updated at a later time.

Date/Time Event
February 1-28
5:00 pm
BHM at the VMFA
VMFA
February 15
6:00 pm
Road to Richmond: Transforming Through Music, Art, Culture & Education
Main Street Station
February 16
6:00 - 6:30 pm

Richmond Short Stories Tour
The Valentine 

February 22
5:00 pm

Community Screening of "Aftershock"
Richmond Public Library

February 25
1:00 - 2:30 pm

Remembering, Honoring & Sharing Richmond's History: A Public Discussion
Richmond Public Library

Ongoing through March 5

Celebrating Black History Month Through ART
Crossroads Arts Center

Ongoing

2023 Black History Tour: Presented by the Cary ES PTA
This self-guided tour includes historically significant landmarks, museums, art, and Black-owned businesses across Richmond.

Ongoing Maggie L. Walker House
Call-ahead for a free tour.
Ongoing Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia: Forging Freedom, Justice and Equality
Free entry for RPS staff and students, plus three guests.

RPS Black History

Mikenzie Jones

Mikenzie is an honor roll 8th grader at Franklin Military Academy. She is a leader in classes and has aspirations of going on to get a degree in Law. She takes her academics very seriously but also is a star athlete. She plays on the JV basketball team at John Marshall. Mikenzie's favorite subject is history and today she sat down to talk to us about Black History and some people that inspire her.

Video

Andrea Bryant

Lucille M. Brown Middle School Science teacher Andrea Bryant is a true example of dedication and commitment. Listen to what she has to say about the importance of positive role models and celebrating each other.

Video

Ta'Dreama McBride

Meet Ta'Dreama McBride, a junior Open High School. Ta'Dreama believes in the importance of staying connected to our heritage and history through storytelling.

Video

Emmanuela Bekrou

Emmanuela Bekrou, a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School shares her story and reasons why we need to remember our ancestors. She is a member the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council, Partnership for the Future, and various other student organizations.

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Philip Canady

Philip Canady is the 2022-23 Teacher of the Year Fairfield Court Elementary School. He shares his views on why it’s important to have a male role model a student’s life.

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Sgt. Edward Gore

Sgt. Edward Gore is the Safety and Care Specialist at Fairfield Court Elementary School. He shares acts of kindness not only during National Kindness Week but all throughout the year. 

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Rodney Robinson

2019 National Teacher of the Year, Rodney Robinson, is an advocate for teachers and students. He represents a small percentage of men in the education field. Listen to what he has to say about celebrating each other at RPS. 

Video

Christal Corey

2023 RPS Teacher of the Year Christal Corey talks to us about why it’s important to celebrate those who came before us. Ms. Corey comes from a family of educators and teaches science at Franklin Military Academy. She takes pride in her students and her role as a teacher. 

Video

Wendell Scott

Mr. Scott is a history teacher at Armstrong HS and the grandson of Wendell Scott, NASCAR's first black team owner and driver. Join us in learning why its important to continue celebrate our history and legacy from Mr. Scott. 

Video

Jamar Billups

Jamar Billups' passion for history started when he was a young boy in search of answers. Today, through his work at RPS as K-12 Instructional Specialist for History and Social Science, he hopes his contributions will provide answers for future generations. 

Video

Natoryae' Carter

Natoryae' Carter is a junior at Armstrong High School where she's a stage performer participating in school theater. She loves to sing, dance, act and cook. Natoryae' talks about some of her most memorable moments at Armstrong and her future plans.

Video

David Harvey

Assistant Coach David Harvey, sits down with us to share his thoughts on coaching the John Marshall Justices boys basketball team, who are making history with their national rankings and state championship titles. 

Video

Xavion Hill

Xavion Hill is a member of the National Honor Society at John Marshall High School, currently holding a 3.57 GPA. He has a passion for photography and videography and hopes to make it on the BIG screen some day. Watch this inspiring clip about Xavion and his dreams for the future. 

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Armstrong HS Battle of the Brains

Cassidy and Jackson are members of the first-ever Armstrong HS Battle of the Brains team. They share their experiences competing on the big stage and making history!

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Imani Adewale

Armstrong High School Senior Imani Adewale is a published author who has inspired other students through her book “30 Days of Self Love”. Check out her story:

Video

J'ana Price

Ginter Park ES student and author J'ana Price has turned her best-selling children's books, Loving Myself and Finding Myself, into an animated read-along. These incredible stories brought to life can be viewed on YouTube.  

VUU MLK Leaders Celebration

In January 2023, RPS principals were honored at the 45th Virginia Union University MLK Leaders Celebration. The celebration highlights leaders in the region who are making a positive impact on the community. VUU recognized RPS leaders for their the perseverance amid challenges since returning from the pandemic, but also the dedication of those who have remained steadfast in their commitment to children and families.

Aarenne Milton

Author Aarenne Milton recently paid a visit to the classroom of her former teacher, Valerie Schwarz, at Mary Munford ES. Aarenne, who is now a teacher herself, has written and published two children's books, and has started her own publishing company, One in a Million Publishing, focused on authors of color. 

Send In Your Stories

Share how your school is celebrating Black History Month or submit a story about RPS Black History past, present and future to be included in the archive. 

outreach@rvaschools.net

RPS Love Store

We have some new options in the RPS Love Store so everyone can proudly celebrate our Black History Month theme! All proceeds will support education programming at the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia.

Visit the Store