Harding Elementary Teaches Local Black History

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – As part of Black History Month, Youngstown City Schools’ Harding Elementary is educating its students on the accomplishments of African Americans, including some close to home.

Throughout the month, students at Harding Elementary are researching and writing principal Teri Coward a paragraph on Black Americans from history. At each morning’s announcement, she reads it for the school.

““The depiction of Blacks in American history impacts the character of Black children who don’t get to see positive images of Black Americans,” Coward said in a statement. “Teaching Black history gives scholars many options towards success they may not know exist.”

Among this featured have been Youngstown municipal court Judge Carla Baldwin, P. Ross Berry, the architect who designed the original Rayen School and Sonya Lenoir, a Youngstown City Schools graduate who helped organize the Black Lives Matter march in downtown Youngstown over the summer.

“Harding celebrates past and current African American contributors, especially focusing on African Americans whose accomplishments may not be very well known as of yet,” said Maureen Donofrio, Harding’s assistant principal. “We want them to see that you don’t have to be famous to be a catalyst for change. Perseverance, passion and courage can create big change.”

Pictured: Harding Elementary principal Teri Coward and assistant principal Maureen Donofrio.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.