Ladue High School Sends Student to White House for Black History Month

NATIONAL BLUES MUSEUM TAKES LOCAL STUDENTS ON A FIELD TRIP – TO THE WHITE HOUSE

-St. Louis Invited to Participate in Black History Month Event-

Ladue Horton Watkins High School Bea Dageforde will travel with a group of ten St. Louis high school juniors and seniors to the White House next week. The trip is being organized by the National Blues Museum (NBM), a not-for-profit educational institution and planned museum. The White House is hosting an educational program celebrating blues music hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama. Dageforde was selected by Don Goble, Ladue School District’s award winning Broadcast Technology and Film Instructor.

In addition to the St. Louis contingent, approximately 120 students from public schools in Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Nashville ,New Jersey, Seattle and the state of Mississippi will be in Washington, DC, for the White House event, museum tours and special activities held in conjunction with the GRAMMY Museum’s "At the Crossroads: A History of the Blues in America" program on Tuesday, February 21.  Produced by the Los Angeles-based GRAMMY Museum, the program serves as a complement to PBS’ “In Performance at the White House” concert series.

The NBM was invited to participate in "At the Crossroads,” where a panel of notable blues experts will participate, including GRAMMY Museum executive director and NBM advisor Bob Santelli, GRAMMY Award-winning artist Keb Mo, GRAMMY-nominated singer Shemekia Copeland, and GRAMMY-nominated musician Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews.

 "At the Crossroads” will give students an overview of the origins of the blues, discuss important artists, and cover the genre's evolution from African American spirituals and work songs to the chart-topping hits of today. The event, which takes place February 21 from 2:30 –3:45 p.m. EST, will be streamed live on www.whitehouse.gov/live, www.pbs.org/whitehouse and www.blackpublicmedia.org. The program will be held inside the State Dining Room at the White House and students will have an opportunity to ask questions of the panel.

In addition to Dageforde, the St. Louis students, selected by school administrators based on criteria provided by the GRAMMY Museum, represent seven public schools across the bi-state region. The full list of participants includes: Kayla Loveless, East St. Louis Senior High School; Kendra Rakers, Belleville West High School; Bea Dageforde, Ladue Horton Watkins High School; Nikko Gianino, Kirkwood High School; Caroline Martinez, University City High School; Allyson Myers, Bayless High School; and Jeremiah Henderson, Miguel Plancarte, Brittani Savage and Abraham Shaw from the St. Louis Public Schools’ McKinley Classical Leadership Academy.

The trip is being made possible in part by an educational grant provided to the National Blues Museum by American Communities Trust.

“St. Louis is one of only a handful of cities asked to be part of this program and it’s an honor to send bright young representatives to the nation’s capital to represent our region and our rich blues heritage,”  said Robert J. Endicott, chairman of the board for the National Blues Museum. “We are excited for the St. Louis students who will be able to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

St. Louis students will fly to Washington, D.C. on Sunday, February 19, 2012 for the "At the Crossroads” event on Tuesday, February 21.

About the National Blues Museum

The National Blues Museum is a 501(c)3 educational institution designed to explore the blues and celebrate the genre as the root of all modern American music through educational programs and a proposed 23,000 square foot facility in downtown St. Louis that will feature a unique a collection of technology- and artifact-driven exhibits.

Located adjacent to the America’s Center convention complex, the museum will be part of the new Mercantile Exchange, downtown’s newest shopping, dining, entertainment, arts & culture, commercial and residential destination.