On Saturday, February 3, students and staff from Oakdale High School went to the C. Burr Artz Library in Downtown Frederick to showcase their projects for Black History Month. This is the first year that Oakdale has participated in an event like this.

Black History Month takes place from February 1st to March 1st and is observed in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Ireland. In the US, the goal is to honor the history of African-Americans in the country. This project at Oakdale is designed to help people in Frederick County understand how Black history has impacted them in Frederick County, MD. 

Kate Ehrlich, the advisor of the project, mentions that she came up with the idea for this project after she traveled with an organization called the Institute for Common Power.  The Institute was offering grants to people who completed a process to spread awareness about Black history. This inspired her to use the funds to start an exhibit that beautifully displays the rich history of  this community.

“I got in contact with them, and then I wrote an essay and found some pictures, and I was able to make the banner.” Freshman Kessia Djoko explains about Rosehill Manor.

“I research Dr. Ulysses Bourne, the first black doctor in Frederick and his hospital on All Saints Street. His hospital was opened in 1919 during a time when black people were denied basic needs like health care in segregated hospitals,” Junior Mikayla Sando describes her project.

While their projects may be different, both students agree that it’s important for schools to include projects like this, as they bring awareness to important historical events. 

“These stories, especially the heart wrenching  ones, need to be talked about more in schools because they are a part of this history and can’t be erased. The legacy of African-American pioneers should be honored and remembered,” Sando expressed. 

Adding to the students points, Ehrlich also believes it’s important for the stories to be told, as “a lot of people don’t know these local stories I think this project is important because it’s going to share these stories from members of the community, people who grew up here their whole lives and don’t know these stories, and for teachers who may not be familiar with these local examples that they can use in their instruction.”

It is evident that the Black History project was  a thriving success, and with more grants, students and staff are hoping to host another successful event like this. 

If you’re interested in this project, you can see it at C. Burr Artz Library throughout the month; then, it travels to all high schools and some middle schools in the county.