Newark High School Boldly Celebrates Black History Month: Op-Ed

NEWARK, NJ — The following op-ed comes courtesy of Bashir Muhammad Ptah Akinyele, a community activist, a member of the Muslim community in New Jersey, and a member of ASCAC (the Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations). He is also a history and Africana Studies (Black Studies) teacher at Weequahic High School in Newark. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

Despite the attempt of U.S. racism to suppress the contributions Black people made to civilization and democracy, the teachers and students boldly initiated their celebration of Black History Month at Weequahic High School in Newark, NJ. Black History Month was kicked off with the annual raising of the Black Liberation Flag program at the school on February 7, 2025.

The raising of the Black Liberation Flag ceremony entails libation to the ancestors, the singing of the Black National Anthem, a speech by a student on the explanation of the red, black, and green colors of the Black liberation flag, a speech by a student on the historical development of Black History Month through ages, and conscious raising poetry.

The program of raising the Black Liberation Flag ceremony to commemorate Black History Month ends with seven harambe with the entire school. The African kiswahili phrase harambe means in English: “all people pulling together.”

Akinyele said, we close our Black Liberation Flag ceremony with seven harambe (Kiswahili phrase for all people pulling together) for a reason. We believe in order to make our school the best school for academic excellence and remain committed to culturally responsive lesson planning, harambe is needed for that to become a reality.

Weequahic High School is composed of predominantly Black and Latino students. Both of their histories are studied and analyzed at the school to highlight their contributions to human society despite racist narratives to devalue Black and Latino humanity. But examining Black History has contributed to good ethnic relations between Blacks and Latinos at the school. Weequahic High School provides yearly academic courses in Africana Studies (Black Studies) for all their students.

Thanks to Principal Kyle G-Khalik Thomas, and the Black History Month Committee, their leadership and organizational planning made the annual Weequahic High School Raising of the Black Liberation Flag to commemorate Black History Month ceremony a success. But most importantly, is the school’s creation of daily Black History Month activities committed to examining the facts on Black people as the progenitors of human civilization, the struggles against racial oppression, the fight for civil rights and Black Power, and their contributions to American democracy.

Principal Thomas says, “the knowledge of self is the foundation of every part of the academic and cultural learning experience at Weequahic High School. No other public school in the city and in country can say that about their school.”

History and Africana Studies (Black Studies) teacher Bashir Muhammad Ptah Akinyele said, “after over 20 years of the Raising of the Black Liberation flag during Black History Month, the ceremony is an institution now. Although our society is steeped in US racism, at Weequahic we have challenged racist notions perpetuated by white supremacy about Black people. Generations of students at Weequahic have been, and are still being exposed to, the facts on the contributions Black people made to human civilization, democracy, and religions in human society. This is the true essence of education. Or like we say at Weequahic proper education always corrects (P.E.A.C.E.).”

The school had special guests joining in solidarity with the school's Black History Month opening program. The special guests included the following:

-Roger Leon, Superintendent of the Newark Public Schools

-Hasani Council, President of the Newark Public School’s Board of Education

-Pat Council, Newark, NJ’s Southward Councilman

-Pastor Louise Roundtree, Newark, NJ’s Councilwoman-At-Large

-Sharif Malik Amenhotep, Co-founder of thee Newark Anti-Violence Coalition / Brick City Peace Collective / New Black Panther Party

-New Direction, Newark, NJ’s respected violence intervention and prevention organization

-One Hood, Newark, NJ’s respected violence intervention and prevention organization

-Hot 97

-Lola Brooke, Hip Hop Artist

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