SHS honors alumni for black history program

Starkville High School held its Black History Program Friday, and honored several prominent local African-american alumni.

In addition to the recognitions, the program included performances from several groups from SHS and beyond. The se performances ranged from a fashion show, selections by the SHS Jazz Band and SHS singers, poems, a step show from the Kappa League, among other performances. Mississippi Sate House of Representatives Rep. Cheikh Taylor, D-starkville, served as the program's keynote speaker. His address focused on the life and innovations of agricultural scientist and inventor George Washington Carver.

Taylor said Carver was an underrated great American, and that he decided to focus on Carver to ensure students did not get the exact same Black History Month speech they got at every other program.

“My background is in science and biology,” Taylor said. “I graduated with a degree in biology and a minor in chemistry, so Carver has always been an inspiration for me, but the most important part of the whole Carver deal is that he's probably one of the most underrated Americans who happened to be black.”

Taylor said thinking of Carver as “the peanut guy” was almost dismissive of his other accomplishments as both a scientist and a person.

“I wanted the students to know that you can have tragedy in your life and still love people,” Taylor said. “You can have adversity and still overcome. You can walk eight