As a close to the month of Black History, Albany High celebrated by having guest speakers come into the school and speak to the Falcons about their lives and how to succeed in school and moreover in life.

The theme of the day was “setting goals”. These testimonies of individuals gave the Falcons hope and some realized that their lives don’t differ to much than that of some of the speakers. One of the most interesting people who I got to be an ambassador for, Mr. Trevor Braaf, is a self-made entrepreneur who overcame the hardships of seeking employment as someone who came from a difficult background. In his youth, he made poor choices that resulted in him being incarcerated. However, in spite of his struggles, Mr. Braaf had the ambition that many individuals lack, which led him to become a man who owns real estate as well as having his own shuttle company that contracts for over 50 hotels in the Capital region.

As an ambassador, I got the pleasure of meeting Kappa Alpha Psi members and their pledge. During the day, I received the pleasure of meeting the likes of DJ TGIF, and a local civil court judge, Helena Heathe. I got the pleasure of speaking politics with her as well as how we can get more youth involved in political participation in terms of voting. In our discussion, I expressed that outreach is the best way for the youth to get involved in politics.

Following this day of speakers, our high school held a Black History month celebration that consisted of a living museum theme along with singing and step performances by a local team. The individuals in this living museum, including myself, paid homage to amazing individuals like Aretha Franklin as well as local leaders like Edmund O’ Neal who had a well famed legacy.

Hosted by our very own Mrs. Chapple, the night had a successful ending with a delightful meal from Eugene’s catering. We all learned that Black History is a long lasting legacy of prominent individuals that broke barriers all within their own rights. Remember, Black History is 365 days a year, not just the month of February.