Temple High School held its annual Black History program to continue the Central Texas Black History Month celebration. The program has been going strong for seven years, and this year, they focused on African American influence on music and different genres.
Students, staff members, and even city council members were able to hear the assistant principal's son T.J Collins recite Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have a Dream" speech, selections from a student jazz band, and popular African-American songs.
Senior LaNija Bryant worked with Assistant Principal Lamar Collins to help organize the program. She has seen it grow since her freshman year and is happy to be a part of such a beautiful celebration.
"I hope that others are out there are inspired to become what they want to become, just like these people had in their times," Bryant said.
Former NFL player and teacher Kwame Cavil got up on stage and gave the students one of his motivational speeches. He says that his goal in life is just to influence people in a positive way.
"We have so much talent in our youth today," Cavil said. "They have so much potential to do great things, and maybe they don't have their expectations set high enough. So if I believe in them more than they believe in themselves, maybe we can push that bar up a little bit higher."
Bryant also stresses that Black History Month is not just about African Americans; it is about everyone coming together.
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