ABOVE: Ellis Dudley, Sr. plays the drums at MHR’s first annual Black History Month celebration.
By Tami S. Scott
Editor
The Most Holy Rosary School gymnasium on the evening of Feb. 28 was filled with people of all ages enjoying the sights and sounds of African drums, dance and storytelling, and the aromas and tastes of sweet and savory ethnic foods.
Pictured is the event committee, from left: Leslie Earsley, Courtney Williams, MHR principal Sherri Stone and Aubri Lanier.
The evening was the first of what the event committee hopes to be an annual event, said Aubri Lanier, a parent of a fifth grader who attends MHR, who helped orchestrate the celebration, which also included a DJ. She and two other parents along with principal Sherri Stone started planning at the beginning of January.
“[The parents] came to me and asked what we did for Black History Month, and I told them what we do in the school, what the teachers do, and they wanted to go a step above,” said Stone. So, they asked what each could contribute to making it happen. The result was success, evidenced on that special night by all the laughter and fun, smiles and positivity it produced.
“We have such a diverse population in our school. We teach love and acceptance of everyone,” Stone added. “I want to make sure that everyone is represented.”
At the start of the program, Lanier addressed the crowd: “I encourage all families to get involved,” she said. “We are open to ideas to help celebrate and unite our children, because we all love one another.”
Father Fred Mannara, pastor of Most Holy Rosary Church, could be seen enjoying food, mingling with guests and overall delighted by the turnout. “Most Holy Rosary is doing a great job with the kids,” he said, noting how the school has benefited from the more than 40 students who transferred to MHR after CAP (Cathedral Academy at Pompei) closed at the end of the academic year in 2024. “Our enrollment was going to be a little bit better, even without CAP kids, but then it made [the school] even more enjoyable that so many are here, and the atmosphere of the kids accepting one another is wonderful.
“You should come during lunchtime to see how the kids [connect] so naturally with one another,” Fr. Mannara told the Sun. “It’s beautiful.”
