Fine Arts students from Oak Hill Middle School gave a performance Feb. 27 honoring Black History Month at the Georgia War Veterans Home (GWVH). The performance from students brought jubilee and inspiration to the audience of veterans, who were beaming with pride throughout the choral arrangements and dance numbers. The event was coordinated by dance teacher Crystal Williams and chorus teacher Brad Bell, and featured 78 students.
Students have been performing a presentation for Black History Month at the home for the past three years.
According to Williams, the opportunity to perform has broadened students’ cultural and arts education.
“Every year that we come out and perform for the veterans, I remind my students that they are presenting history in an artful way to those who have lived through it or been aware of it,” Williams said.
“Getting to perform in their local community teaches the kids so much. The veterans are a great audience, and give the students confidence in a safe and encouraging environment.
It gives both the veterans and the students an opportunity to be appreciated.”
Williams began integrating Black history into her dance curriculum five years ago when she noticed students were disconnected from the topic.
She has seen how the opportunity to go out and perform for local community members is rewarding and uplifting, and produces confidence in her dancers that goes beyond the classroom.
“They walk away better,” Williams said. “Most of them have a secret desire to showcase their fine art medium, and by performing for the veterans it helps them focus on what is important in life and cleanses their palette of surrounding influences. By performing at the Georgia War Veterans Home, students have an opportunity that lets them show what kind of student goes to Oak Hill Middle School and the potential that each student has.”
Oak Hill Middle School students were not the only ones who were left with a positive impact after Thursday’s performance. The veterans who reside at the home thoroughly enjoyed the vocal and dance performances as well, according to GWVH Activities Director Michelle Flood.
“The veterans really love kids, and having the students come to perform shows them the love and connection from the community,” Flood said. “It is important for the veterans to see that children are respecting history and are taking the time to put together a performance that honors those before them.”
According to Flood, numbers from the performance that residents took delight in were a solo praise dance performed by student Muziq Dennis, and a finale that invited the veterans to join in and sing along to the hymn “Glory, Glory Hallelujah.” “Seeing our veteran residents brought to tears by the performance honoring Black history was very moving,” Flood said.
“It is a full-circle feeling for the veterans. They have experienced so much in life, and it’s good for them to see the next generation recognizing that their experiences are not being erased.
“Some of our residents at the home still process events they went through in the military when things were segregated.
For them to see students honor that experience, and respect Black History Month by putting in effort through performing is validating to them.”
In addition to Oak Hill Middle School students performing, volunteers from Atlanta Gas Light were there to help aid in the transportation of the veterans to the performance.
“As an activities director it means a lot to my team and I because there is only so much we can do ourselves,” Flood said. “We are very blessed to have people from the community that want to support these veterans.
“It takes a village to put an event together, and this event was made easier by having the added support from the Atlanta Gas Light volunteers. It has happened before where we have a great event planned, but it is not always easy to move the veterans to the event.”
Following the performance, Flood and Williams made the decision to make the performance an annual tradition. Both hope that an annual performance will excite students and veterans, and will give them something to look forward to each February.