NAACP nods to Belle Meade class for work in essay contest

The NAACP Culpeper division recognized the class of Belle Meade Montessori teacher Sue Garvin for their high engagement in a Black History Month essay and video contest the group organized last month.

The contest, for students in Culpeper, Madison and Rappahannock counties to compete for cash prizes up to $200 and a chance to win a trip to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., asked students in grades 3-12 to create a video or write an essay answering the question: “Do we need black history month? Why or why not?”

While no students in Rappahannock County won, Garvin’s middle and high school students spent several classes discussing the contest question and considering both the reasons why Black historical figures were not familiar to them as well as ways to gain a more complete understanding of American history, according to a news release from NAACP Culpeper.

As a predominantly white class, they also considered how racial identity impacts their response to these questions. To support their thinking on these topics as well as recognize their work on this project, their class received a gift of two books for their library: “Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You: A Remix of the National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning” by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X Kendi and “The Black History Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained” by DK and David Olusoga.

The contest’s winners were third grader Alexander Bradshaw and sixth grader Amira Bradshaw, homeschooled siblings in Culpeper County, who won the elementary and middle School divisions. Gabrielle Williams, an 11th grader who is also homeschooled in Culpeper, won the high school division, according to NAACP Culpeper.