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Thursday, 28 March 2024

Sweet Home graduates are Black History trailblazers

Credit: WKBW Buffalo
Duration: 02:38s 0 shares 1 views

Sweet Home graduates are Black History trailblazers
Sweet Home graduates are Black History trailblazers
Sweet Home graduates are Black History trailblazers

"7 EYEWITNESS NEWSIS CELEBRATINGBLACK HISTORY OVERTHE NEXT MONTH BYUNCOVERING UNSUNGSTORIES ACROSSWESTERN NEW YORK."TONIGHT, 7EYEWITNESS NEWSSENIOR REPORTEREILEEN BUCKLEYTAKES US TO SWEETHOME HIGH SCHOOL INAMHERST.... TO SHOWUS HOW THREEFORMER STUDENTSFORMED THESCHOOL'S FIRST-EVERBLACK HISTORYCELEBRATION...30-YEARS AGO THESESWEET HOME HIGHSCHOOL FRESHMENQUESTIONED WHYTHERE WAS NO BLACKHISTORY PROGRAM ATTHE SCHOOL...BUT TODAY ERICABOSWELL, WALTRICIASINGLETARY ANDDESIREE PARKER - ALLFROM AMHERST - CANPROUDLY WALK DOWNMEMORY LANE...TOREFLECT ON THEIRACHIEVEMENT.IN THE 1990'S - THEYWERE IN MINORITY...DESIREE PARKER."WHEN WE WEREHERE.THEREWEREN'T - THERE WASA VERY SMALLHANDFUL OF AFRICANAMERICAN STUDENTSTHAT WENT TO THESCHOOL IN GENERAL."==BUTT==WALTRICIASINGLETARY.

"MOST OFUS COME FROM BEINGIN THE HONOR SOCIETYPROGRAMS.WE'VEBEEN MUSICIANS ANDLEADERSHIPPROGRAMS."==BUTT==ERICA BOSWELL.

"I CANREMEMBER PEOPLEBEING SURPRISEDTHAT WE WERE GOODSTUDENTS."BOSWELL SAYS THEYASKED THE ASSISTANTPRINCIPAL IF THEYCOULD START A BLACKHISTORY PROGRAM...ERICA BOSWELL.

"HISRESPONSE - AT THETIME -WAS WELL WEDON'T CELEBRATEFRENCH HISTORYMONTH - WE DON'TCELEBRATE GERMANHISTORY MONTH."BUT THEN HE TOLDTHE STUDENTS THEYCOULD SEEK AFACULTY ADVISER ANDCREATE A PROPOSAL.ALL THREE SAY IT WASFORMER TEACHERAMY RAMSAY - NOWRETIRED - WHOBELIEVED IN THEM...WITH HER HELP - THEYFORMED SCHOOL'SFIRST BLACK HISTORYMONTHPROGRAM...AND ITCONTINUES TODAY...DR. KELLY LUCHEY."HERE AT SWEET HOME- IT'S LIKE A MELTINGPOT."DR. KELLY LUCHEYIS A CRISISCOUNSELOR AT THEHIGH SCHOOL.

SHESAYS SHE IS SOPROUD TO LEAD APROGRAM STARTEDBY THE FORMERSTUDENTS...."AND IT'S IMPORTANTTO SHOW OURSTUDENTS THAT IT'SNOT JUST ABOUTAFRICAN AMERICANSCELEBRATING -AFRICAN AMERICANHISTORY - -BUT IT'SCELEBRATINGAMERICAN HISTORY -AND LEARNING ABOUTTHE CONTRIBUTIONSTHAT AFRICANAMERICANS HAVEMADE TO OURCOUNTRY."BOSWELL,SINGLETARY ANDPARKER ALSOFORMED THESCHOOL'S FIRST-EVERDRILL TEAM...NOWKNOW AS THE 'STEP'TEAM...WE CAPTURED ASPECIAL MOMENTWITH THE CURRENTTEAM AS THEY METTHE WOMEN WHOCREATED IT 30-YEARSAGO...WHAT DOES IT MEANFOR YOUR LADIES TOSEE THESE LADIESTHAT STARTED IT A FEWDECADES AGO??IT'S JUST LIKE ALEGACY BASICALLY -LIKE A FAMILY REUNION- LOW KEY."THREE WOMEN.

NWITH THEIR OWNBLACK HISTORYLEGACY.IN AMHERST, EILEENBUCKLEY 7- EWN.

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