Page 9 - WLIS-Fall-Magazine-2023

It’s About HAVING FUN

Children Explore

Black History

Chapter 817 Southfield, Michigan

ince 2018, Woman’s
Life Chapter 817 “Je

S T’aime” Southfield,
Michigan, has honored
Dr. Martin Luther King

Jr.’s life and legacy on
the day he is celebrated
nationally. Chapter Chair-

woman Nina Wheeler
likes to keep the program
fresh by giving it a new fo-

cus each year. “This year’s
Black History program
was born out of a desire
to enlighten school-aged
“Youth older than 18 were asked to “For example, they played Red
children about the lives help facilitate some of the games, Light, Green Light and talked
which helped them build new about Garrett Morgan’s traffic
of the many Black history leadership skills.” The choice of a light invention to make it more
legends who contributed taco bar was easy, Wheeler says. relatable and fun. They also filled
“There are so many ways a taco plastic light bulbs with candy as
to our progress as a peo- can be made, and you’re bound they talked about Lewis Howard
ple today,” Wheeler says. to find a combination everyone Latimer’s contributions to the de-
likes. It is a relatively portable velopment of the light bulb.”
In 2023, Chapter 817 used a $250 meal, easily constructed, and can “The high point of the event for
Volunteer Service Project Grant even be made vegetarian.” ages 9–18 was a scavenger hunt
from Woman’s Life to purchase “For 9– to 18–year-olds, we con- to encourage the teams to work
food and decorations as they pre- ducted a Kahoot-style session to together to bring about success,”
pared to host their program for let individuals strut their prowess Wheeler says. “The most memo-
children in the community. “The with Black history. Prizes were rable moments for us were when
event included a taco bar lunch, awarded for first, second, and we observed the intrigued looks
and students were invited to pres- third place,” Wheeler notes. The on the children’s faces when they
ent or give a speech about a Black event also offered learning op- did the scavenger hunt. They were
historian,” she explains. The chil- portunities for 5– to 8–year-olds. definitely collaborating with each
dren who spoke were as young as “That team had some very unique other to fulfill the requirements
five years old up to 18 years old. sessions,” Wheeler remembers. in the hopes of winning!”

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