By Aaron Allen
The Seattle Medium
Our children deserve to be applauded, our children deserve to be told great job. Their self esteem depends on it. It is incumbent upon us as a community to encourage our children more on an academic level. Their success is based on our ability to nurture, teach and advise and provide a safe environment for them to grow and learn.
Monday morning at South Shore Pre-K – 8, as part of the National African-American Parent Involvement Day (NAAPID), the community took the opportunity to exemplify this. Parents, teachers, politicians, aunts, uncles, activists and concerned citizens all came out to nurture and advocate for children and education. The involvement, the community service, and enthusiasm showed the commitment that Seattle’s African American community has for its children.
During the celebration people from around the community came together to show students the love and support, and encourage our children to be the best they can be and that we have their backs. Event coordinator Anthony Shoecraft confirmed this in his speech referring to community involvement stating, “We can do for own and we will.”
The enthusiasm in the event filled the air as hundreds of people came together to line up on both sides of the main entrance of the school to cheer, congratulate, encourage, whistle, love and give high fives to each child that came through that door.
The cheer squad was filled with many familiar and prominent faces including Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, Seattle City Councilmember Bruce Harrell, King County Council member Larry Gossett, representatives of the Seattle Police Department and a host of citizens who want to make sure that children have every advantage possible to succeed academically.
This longstanding tradition of celebrating National African American Parent Involvement Day was a success as the children piled off buses and out of cars to a cheering crowd as if they were NBA stars or professional athletes coming through the tunnel before the contest! Their smiles were infectious.
After the children were settled into their classes, adults convened in their own assembly to speak on issues of education equality, the integrity of the system and scholarship awarding and the overall concerns parents and teachers and administrators have regarding their children’s education.
The atmosphere was festive and the vibrations were at a high level as the sun appeared to cast a bright light on South Shore Middle School that morning.
