Students present multicultural literature projects
On May 2, English teacher Brittany Blumenstock’s Multicultural Literature class hosted a showcase of student work in the media center. The main focus of this expo was for students to research a topic that they were interested in and then explore how to organize and present that information to first-year students.
“I want students to understand that the work we do isn’t for a teacher, but it’s something that you can use in your life authentically to teach others,” Blumenstock said. “Even if you don’t go into (higher education), you could still use these habits to inform yourself deeply about a topic to organize ideas and continue that learning and sharing cycle.”
With students’ interests in mind, the theme of the projects was broad, but all tied back to a central question: what is multiculturalism today? Students were able to explore their topic by looking at historical events, writers, artists, poets or singers whose work shapes culture, or by exploring cultures, subcultures or social issues and how they play into multiculturalism.
For example, presenters Kevoinna Johnson and Nijah Huff titled their project “The Crown Act,” exploring how natural hairstyles of people of color have been deemed unprofessional in workplace settings.
“Even today, people have a problem with us having our hair like this at school. They consider it nappy or unprofessional when I don’t need my hair straightened to look perfect. I can put on a suit, and my hair can be natural, and I’ll still look good,” Huff said.
Other projects ranged in topic from exploring Frida Kahlo’s influence to Esports. One student’s project examined the similarities between Nazi concentration camps and the containment of children at the United States’ southern border.
“A lot of high school is, your teacher might give you the research focus and you don’t have a lot of opportunities to sit there and follow your own line of inquiry, your own questions,” Blumenstock said.
