A special Black History month celebration took place at Ecole Polson Park Public School in Kingston as poet George Elliott Clarke stopped by to see the mural a Grade 2 class had created based on his poem Roll Call.
Black History month is a time to celebrate and remember all the ways that black Canadians have contributed to our history and culture.
Monday marked the first time that Clarke, a former Canadian poet laureate, saw the mural.
“I’d seen some photographs of the work that the pupils had done. But to actually see it and to see it hanging on the wall as a permanent display, it’s a testament to the work of pupils and their care for our history — our joint history — because black history belongs to everyone.”
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Nicci Rea, the teacher behind the project, said she was inspired by Clarke’s 2017 poem.
“The idea that I had for the mural came from a desire to celebrate the heritage of some of our students and the heritage of our Canadian people,” she said.
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Monday’s assembly featured plenty of music from members of Afro-Metis Nation.
As for Clarke, he continued to sing the praises of those involved with the mural project, saying that it was just so heart-warming and that it fills you with a lot of hope for the future.
The mural, which was originally unveiled last fall, contains 700 names.