Riverhead High School Hosts Black History Celebration

Photo: Riverhead Central School District

Riverhead High School held its annual Black History Celebration last Thursday.

Riverhead High School Assistant Principal Patrick Burke was the Master of Ceremonies.

The celebration opened with the presentation of the colors and the Pledge of Allegiance led by the NJROTC, followed by the “Star Spangled Banner” sung by RHS students Ryan and Samuel Mancini.

Reverend Mary Cooper from the House of Praise gave the invocation.



The program featured presentations by students from Aquebogue Elementary School, who, with the help of music teacher Roy Buccola, played a game called “Who Am I?” with the audience.

The students read excerpts from the biographies of famous Black Musicians they had researched, like John Coltrane and Aretha Franklin, and had the audience guess the name of the musician they described.

Students from the Roanoke Avenue third grade shared their “Dream Flag Poems” and a “Brief History of the Civil Rights Movement”.

This presentation was followed by Roanoke students singing that old civil rights favorite, “If I Had a Hammer”.

In addition, music was provided by Riley Avenue fourth grade chorus, the Phillips Avenue third graders, and the high school and middle school Jazz Bands.

A standout in the evening was a presentation by “The Riley Avenue School Library/Media Readers”, led by Librarian Melanie Ash.

Their presentation was entitled “Hopes and Dreams of Prominent African-Americans” and “Riley Student’s Hopes and Dreams”.

The student readers included Emily Peters, Dante Washington, Madison Williams, Andrew Yown, Kahista Kahler and Hayden Richardson.

“Although we have many different dreams,” the Riley Readers shared. “We are all focused on one that is the the most important . . . acceptance. . . We decided the common thread within all ‘issues’ people experience is the lack of confidence a person feels. . . We challenge you the audience,” they continued “to accept our Compliment for Confidence Challenge. The idea is for everyone to give at least one sincere compliment to someone every day. Your compliment could change that person’s day or even life. Your compliment could be the kindness that changes someone’s life or even the world! We hope you accept our challenge!”

Community member Robert Brown participated in the high school celebration by introducing Alisha Griffin and Reilly Hubbard, two of the three winners from the Pulaski Street School’s annual Garfield Langhorn Essay Contest.

The students were recognized by Brown, who gave a poignant description of how PFC Garfield Langhorn died heroically in the Vietnam War by throwing his body over a grenade to save the lives of the other soldiers near him.

PFC Garfield Langhorn was posthumously awarded a Congressional Medal of Honor.

“I just love these Black History Month celebrations,” Brown said.

He also recited two of his original poems—one of which he wrote for this year’s Black History Celebration.

District employee Jenny Corbin recited a speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. given in Alabama during “The March on Selma”.

The Riverhead High School Step and Dance Team gave a spirited performance.

The group’s advisors are Cheryl Trent and Frederica Miles.

Each year a high school the students who organize this event also recognize the contributions of a faculty member, staff member, administrator or community member by presenting the persons honored with the Martin Luther King, Jr. Award.

This year’s recipients were Salvatore Loverde, a coach and special education teacher at the Middle School, and Robert Brown, a retired Brookhaven National Labs employee, poet and community activist.

Sign up for your local Patch newsletter and breaking news alerts here.

More on Patch

• Man Pleads Guilty in New Hyde Park Cop Shooting
• Cops: Search Warrant Nets Drugs, Cash in Glen Cove, Glen
• Brentwood Man Pleads Guilty to Gas Station Heists
• Police: Man Robbed Bank in East Setauket
• Rocky Point Students Jump for Heart Health
• Three Village Kindergarten Students Go on Arctic Adventures
• SUV Driver Wanted for Striking Pedestrian in Mastic Beach
• DA: Freeport Man Gets 20 Years for Stabbing Wife, Setting Fire to Hide Evidence
• Massapequa Soccer Players Commit to College Teams
• GoFundMe Campaign Launched to Help Family of Paramedic Who Died in Line of Duty
• Police Seek Nesconset Bank Robber