Poplar Bluff Junior High marked the centennial of Black History Month commemorations while striking a balance between a talent-rich, educational program topped off by a high-energy keynote speech.
The 9th annual schoolwide assembly adopted the phrase “Keep it 100” as its theme to honor the foundation of the week-long celebration, introduced in 1926 by historian Carter G. Woodson, before the month of February was designated by the president half a century later.
Jamar Blackmon, a national motivational speaker and author, was initially invited by the Junior High event planning committee to participate via Zoom but chose instead to attend in person from Akron, Ohio.
“When I look around, I think of Dr. King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. I look around; this is the dream. What he fought and died for was equality,” Blackmon proclaimed on Friday, Feb. 13, in the gymnasium. “…He wanted to see that his kids would be able to be in a room and be judged by their character, and not the color of their skin.”
Blackmon shared his personal journey of graduating high school with a 1.8 grade-point average, yet managing to run a multimillion-dollar company in Brooklyn just one year later through a shift in his mindset. He discusssed how he began reading about Black history and the perseverance of Civil Rights leaders through adversity.
“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward,” Blackmon continued, reciting his favorite quote from Martin Luther King, Jr.
As a behavioral health specialist who runs a mentoring program that includes grief counseling called The Goalgetta Academy, Blackmon encouraged the audience to seek out positive outlets, such as exercising, listening to music or talking to someone. He reminded the student body that the school staff are “your teammates, not the enemy,” emphasizing that they entered the profession to help.
The assembly concluded with Principal Candace Warren, who has announced her impending retirement after 31 years at Junior High, receiving special recognition for her building leadership over the past nine years and always “believing in culture and community,” according to secretary LaRonda Mack, one of the event organizers.
The event opened with a student-led performance of the National Anthem, “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing,” as well as other dance routines and tributes featuring representatives from several Black fraternities and sororities, collectively known as the “Divine Nine.”
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Cutline: Keynote speaker Jamar Blackmon emulates his logo with one finger pointing to his brain and the other to the sky, meaning “with the right mindset you can go to the top.”