BY KIRK STARRATT

kstarratt@kentvilleadvertiser.ca

NovaNewsNow.com

It’s certainly fun when it comes to studying African Heritage at Kings County Academy (KCA) in Kentville and students learn valuable lessons about the contributions made to society by people of African descent.

KCA hosted its annual African Heritage celebration Thursday evening, March 6, with highlights including the presentation of five bursary awards to students of African descent, an African youth talent show and a student multicultural choir. All students who took part in the multicultural choir received a certificate of participation and those who participated in the African youth talent show received an additional certificate. A number of prominent members of the local Black community endorse the certificates.

Oil of Life Clinic and Learning Institution provided five bursary awards, which were awarded to nine-year-old Brittney Bright; 11-year-old Brandon Bright; seven-year-old Bradley Bright; 11-year-old Isaiah Gibson; and nine-year-old Emmanuel Gibson. Collectively, they are members of a dance group they call Crump Kidz.

Isaiah Gibson said he thinks it’s important to learn about African heritage and culture and he has fun studying it. When asked what aspect he enjoys learning about the most, he said, “the different people and what they did.”

Gibson said it feels good to be the recipient of a bursary granted in recognition of African Heritage Month.

‘All about attitude’

Oil of Life Clinic and Learning Institution CEO Phylisteen Gibson said awarding the bursaries is important to her because they give students incentive to have a good attitude toward getting an education and staying in school.

“It’s important to give them an incentive to stay in school and have good attitudes,” she said. “It’s all about attitude.”

Gibson said sticking it out and staying in school to get an education is important and it doesn’t necessarily matter if you have the highest grades or not.

Student Support Worker Lawrence Parker, who has been organizing the African heritage initiatives for the past five years, said they started out holding the annual celebration at Aldershot Elementary, but it became apparent they needed a larger venue so they moved to KCA. He said they have always had great crowds.

Parker works primarily with Black and First Nations students at KCA, Aldershot Elementary, Glooscap Elementary and Northeast Kings Education Centre.

Parker said students heard only about negative aspects of African heritage, such as slavery, when he was in school. Now students learn positive aspects of Black heritage and culture as well, including the significant contributions to our society by Black inventors.

“It’s important so they can be proud of where they came from,” Parker said.

The event featured also the Valley launch of Teens Now Talk (TNT) magazine. TNT CEO Jessica Bowden was on hand for the event and several copies of the premier issue were distributed.

The magazine, based in Halifax, is intended to be a voice for Nova Scotia youth, written by teens for teens. Teens of all cultural backgrounds are invited to choose a topic of importance to them and start writing about their world. The magazine invites submissions.

For more information on TNT, visit www.teensnowtalk.com.