History comes alive at Dr. Gustavus Brown Elementary

Students portray various historical American figures

History came alive Wednesday for students at Dr. Gustavus Brown Elementary School as two dozen of their schoolmates took on the personas of historical figures related to African-American history.

For Black History Month, the school held a “living history museum” where second through fifth grade students dressed as historical figures in the cafeteria.

“A living history

museum is basically a re-enactment museum,” said Brown guidance counselor Tiffany Cook. “We’ve asked our kids to memorize words … and they all dressed up as historical figures for Black History Month.”

Each student stood in front of a music stand with a red paper button on it. As other students, teachers and staff walked through the aisles of students, they pushed the red button, and each student would recite details about the lives of the personage they were portraying and their connection to African-American history.

“A lot of kids have learned some interesting facts. Some of the kids have people who are local, so that’s kind of exciting for them, to see how a local person did something great; for instance, we have Matthew Henson here, and we have a school named after him right here in Charles County,” Cook said.

Henson, born in 1866 in Nanjemoy, was the first African-American arctic explorer. He was part of a 1909 expedition to Greenland which was credited as the first to reach the North Pole.

On the stage were artifacts relating to African-American history as well.

Amani Anderson chose to portray former First Lady Michelle Obama.

“I feel like Michelle Obama is basically a lady who’s independent and she teaches you how to be an independent woman,” Anderson said, adding that she hadn’t known Obama had a law degree. “I learned that she went to law school; I thought she had just gone to a regular college.”

Cook, who described herself as a history buff, said she hopes the students will develop a love of history.

“I want them to develop that thirst for history and knowledge,” Cook said. “People are doing a lot of great things now. If we don’t know where we come from ... we’ll never truly push forward to where we need to go in the future.”

STAFF PHOTO BY JAMIE ANFENSON-COMEAU Zaria Johnson portrays actress, model and activist Yara Shahidi as part of the living history museum at Dr. Gustavus Brown Elementary School Wednesday afternoon.

Above left, Kevin Wismer III portrays pop artist Michael Jackson. Above right, Amy Costa portrays 16th U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. Below left, Elijah Gutrick portrays boxer Muhammed Ali. Below right, Christopher Flores portrays U.S. Senator Bernie...

STAFF PHOTOS BY JAMIE ANFENSON-COMEAU Chelsea Baldonado, left, portrays civil rights activist Rosa Parks for a crowd of onlookers at Dr. Gustavus Brown Elementary School’s living history museum Wednesday afternoon.