"While the districtwide finale was meaningful, it ultimately elevated a small number of students, Superintendent Enikia Ford Morthel wrote in an email shared with Berkeleyside, estimating that 37 students participated in the culminating Black History Oratorical Fest last year."
"hosting the event would have required significant cross-departmental staff capacity. In previous years, the oratorical festival was structured as a tournamentstyle event, where students in grades 3 to 12 performed published and original speeches and poems tied to a yearly theme."
"Amanda Cardno, a special education teacher at BTA, said there aren't many opportunities for the district to come together, especially in celebration of Black joy. She said having each school host their own oratorical event this year felt like it missed that note."
Berkeley Unified School District has canceled the district-wide Black History Oratorical Fest for 2025, citing staffing capacity concerns despite receiving grant funding. The festival, held annually since 2018, brought together elementary, middle, and high school students for tournament-style competitions celebrating Black history through speeches and poems. Superintendent Enikia Ford Morthel noted that while the district finale was meaningful, it served only approximately 37 students. Individual school sites will continue hosting their own Black history oratorical events. Teachers and parents expressed disappointment, viewing the cancellation as a loss of visible celebration of Black culture during a period when diversity programs are being scaled back nationally.
#black-history-oratorical-festival #berkeley-unified-school-district #public-speaking-competition #diversity-and-inclusion #education-programs
Read at www.berkeleyside.org
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]