Multicultural Festival/ African American Heritage Month

Around Springfield, citizens are getting ready for African American Heritage Month by participating in the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration and attending the Multicultural Festival.  Parkview is a diverse school, but is it celebrated by the entire school?

On Monday, February 18^th Mediacom Ice Park filled with people who wanted to participate in the Martin Luther King, Jr. March.  The procession began to march at 9:30 am, going over the MLK Jr. Bridge, across Chestnut, and ending at the Central Auditorium.  Following the March was a ceremony in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.  in attendance was Taylor St. John (Senior), Alicia Munguia (Senior), and Nora England (Girls Attendance Secretary).  St. John and Munguia joined England’s nephew on stage, “We read some excerpts from Martin Luther King, Junior’s   ‘I have a Dream Speech’”, explained St. John, “We were representing racial togetherness.”

Also on February 18^th, the 13^th Annual Springfield Multicultural Festival at Juanita K. Hammons Hall was held from one to five pm.  This festival was presented by UNITE of Southwest Missouri in the hope of bringing together people of differing cultures. Many local organizations were present including the US Census, Aids project of the Ozarks, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Missouri State University, Ladies Civic League, and Bahai’ Faith. Several bands/choirs provided their services, as did the Balloon Lady.

The community seems to be celebrating diversity, but Parkview, one of the most diverse schools in Springfield, doesn’t have a diversity club.

Parkview has had a diversity club in previous years, but this year the school was unable to get the club together.  According to Mr. Hudson, the previous sponsor left Parkview and the budget for the club was cut. 

Dr. Nate Quinn, the Coordinator of Cultural Diversity, expresses his opinion of a Diversity club, “[Celebrating diversity] would take a lot of student involvement and if it [a diversity Club] is to be successful, it should be student led.” 

Although, Parkview History classes do not do anything in particular for African American Heritage Month, they discuss the history throughout the year. In Mrs. Tate’s U.S. History class, they have a large unit on the Civil Rights movement in April. In Mr. Partee’s AP U.S. History class they discuss all the great African Americans.

Dr. Quinn agrees with this method of teaching, “I believe diversity should be integrated into all classes and be a part of everyday education, not just a specific day or week.”