Embracing Inclusive History to Bring the Community Together

Imagine a scene of a crowded Grand Central Station in New York with some people scurrying around like bees trying to make their trains on time. While others are huddled in groups talking about the latest news. That's the type of energy that greeted me on the LHS Harmon, LHS Killough, and Hedrick MS campuses before 1st period. On January 11, 2022, I was about to embark on my ambitious 10-3-3 campaign. 10 presentations... at 3 schools... in 3 days to talk to the students about the importance of participating in the inaugural Lewisville Achievement Fair.

To harness all of that raw energy, I decided to have a conversation and share personal stories with the students... to get them emotionally involved in the presentation. It worked. Each school has a very diverse student population with strong leadership on campus. For that reason, my message emphasized personal responsibility, the importance of celebrating the achievements of persons of color, and the importance of the event's role in bringing the community together by illustrating that we all have value and make contributions. Of course, the revelation that there would be $1,000 in cash prizes also got their attention.

One of my personal stories revealed how I got started in broadcasting by developing some black history moment vignettes to sell to local radio stations. After recording the vignettes on my cassette player, I approached radio General Managers with my "Moments in Black History" series, and I received a job offer which launched my career in broadcasting for more than 20 years. Prior to serving as a Vice-President, I worked in sales, management, and on-air as an announcer. Now, I am President of Dorsey Management Services.

When we talked about Nguzo Saba (7 principles of Kwanzaa) and Dr. Maulana Karenga, the creator of Kwanzaa, you could hear a pin drop in the room. Since many of the students use You Tube, they were amazed to find out that Steven Chen, a Taiwanese American, is one of the co-founders of You Tube. They were also in awe to learn about Henrietta Lacks' immortal cell line used in medical research. It is the oldest and most commonly used human cell line, her cells were used in research to develop the covid-19 vaccine. The leadership of Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta who fought for the rights of farmworkers was also highlighted.

At the conclusion of the campaign, 74 students had signed up to participate in the Lewisville Achievement Fair. Exhibits featuring Madame CJ Walker were awarded first place in the high school and middle school categories.

Touring the exhibits at the Lewisville Grand Theater was a fun learning experience for me because I had never heard of Frida Kahlo, a Mexican Painter who received the National Prize of Arts and Sciences from the Ministry of Public Education, Sun Zi, a legendary Chinese Military General and Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic woman to go into space.

During this campaign, I often thought about Helen Schrader, one of my Professors at Stanford University who taught a pioneering course on group communications that promoted dialogue and diversity in the wake of Dr. Martin Luther King's assassination. Fortunately, I was a part of this group for three classes which are among the most beneficial educational experiences of my life because of the cultural inclusion and sharing which resulted in a high level of cultural awareness. The lessons learned in the classes gave me an advantage personally and professionally.