Most Holy Rosary school hosted its second annual Black History Celebration on Saturday, a free event organized by the school's Parent-Teacher Council and open to the Strathmore neighborhood. Over 200 people attended, up from around 150 last year.
With a little nudging from the drums, the gym floor at Most Holy Rosary filled up. The Adanfo Ensemble, led by Ghanaian drummer David "Etse" Nyadedzor, called the crowd forward. And the crowd came.
Students, parents, teachers and neighbors set down their plates of food, left the bleachers and followed the dancers around the drums.
"It just solidifies what we already know," Principal Sherri Stone said. "That we are of one."
Tables along the back wall overflowed with homemade dishes, ranging from jerk chicken and rice to greens and cornbread. Face painters had a steady flow of customers all afternoon. Before the drummers took the floor, the Vertical Liturgical Dance Ministry and Extreme Pressure Dance Company performed.
The idea for the event grew out of a conversation between parents who wanted Black History Month recognized beyond the classroom. After last year’s success, the event has quickly become a tradition.
"It was a natural progression," said parent and co-organizer Courtney Williams. "We identified after that event that it would just naturally be something we continue to do annually."
For parent and lead organizer Aubri Lanier, the day is all about community.
"It means everybody coming together and really celebrating and embracing African American culture, through food, dance, fellowship, and just having a good time," she said.
The school draws families from a range of cultural backgrounds, and organizers say that diversity is what makes the celebration meaningful.
Parent Wilmarie Ortiz helped put on the event. She said the importance of the day comes down to what the children see when they look around.
"We have a lot of black kids that go to this school," Ortiz said. "They go to other events and they see other representation. So, it feels good to them to see their own being represented, too."
Nyadedzor, who has been teaching and performing in Syracuse since arriving from Ghana in 2000, said celebrations like this matter for younger generations.
"Everybody's got to know their heritage, their roots, their culture," he said. "This reminds the youth growing up that there's such a thing."
Christina Wiegand, president of the Parent-Teacher Council, called the day another example of the tight-knit community at the school, which she describes as a village.
"It doesn't matter about our backgrounds, our skin color. We all represent love. We're all here because we're unified as a community," she said. "What other feeling is greater than the feeling of belonging somewhere?"