Cheryl Wills Shares Her Story with Glen Cove Students

Glen Cove, N.Y. — In recognition of Black History Month, 11th and 8th grade students in the Glen Cove City School District received a virtual video presentation from Cheryl Willis, an award-winning journalist and author, about Black History Month and the Civil War.

During the classroom presentation, Ms. Wills took students on a compelling journey through the lens of her childhood. During the 1970s, as Cheryl sat in social studies class learning about Confederates in The Civil War, she was never taught by educators or her family that she was a direct descendant of an enslaved man named Sandy Wills who also served in the Civil War with President Lincoln’s United States Colored Troops.

Cheryl brought the past into the present and talked to students about how she traced her family tree back 150 years and revealed her current courageous endeavor and search for Sandy Wills’ grave. She also brought in and shows the Emancipation Proclamation signed by President Abraham Lincoln for Glen Cove students to see. She concluded the presentation by taking questions any students had and providing answers.

The Glen Cove City School District recognizes that Black history is American History and takes pride in teaching students at all levels about the impact that the African American community has had on building our nation.

For more information about the Glen Cove City School District, please visit the District’s website at www.glencoveschools.org. Happenings in the District can also be followed on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/glencovecityschooldistrict.