Milan school system hosts district-wide black history program

MILAN, Tenn. — Students in Milan celebrated Black History Month with a district-wide performance.

Excitement filled the room as students showcased their talents while honoring African American legends from history as well as the Milan community.

“Dede, Kenyatta, Ruth and I sat down, wrote the script and planned this based on the movie ‘Hidden Figures,'” program director Wanda Mercer said.

“Hidden Figures” is a 2017 box office hit based on a true story of three black women at NASA who served as the brains behind outer space operations. Milan school officials added their own twist to the movie.

“We hope that they learn some of the hidden figures of Milan,” Mercer said.

Each year, the schools host a Black History Month program, but this time Superintendent Jonathan Criswell asked teachers to bring students together from across the district.

“Kids have done an outstanding job,” Criswell said. “They’ve worked hard to put all of this together, and we’re just excited about the opportunity for our students to be a part of something that’s bigger than themselves.”

One parent said she’s glad her children were a part of the performance. “It makes me very proud to see my kids involved with their heritage and knowing where they came from and to be proud of it,” Raven Williamson said.

The students are set to perform again at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at Milan High School.