A MESSAGE FROM 

Principal Santos

As we move into February and celebrate Black History as a campus, we are eager to focus on the rich culture and amazing individuals who have contributed so much to humanity. If you have celebrated Black History Month with us before, you know that our goal is not only acknowledge the hard truths about black history but also to help all of our students feel empowered about their identities and culture. Black leaders have created masterpieces, innovated extraordinary technology and continue to be some of the most influential revolutionaries. 

In most schools, lessons on Black History begin with slavery, but we think its important to focus on the amazing leaders and culture that occurred well before slavery. Did you know that the wealthiest person in history was black? Elon Musk may be at the top of the Forbes list but he is by no means the richest man of all time. That title is believed to belong to Mansa Musa, the 14th Century West African ruler who was known for  the abundance of natural resources he cultivated and the growth and development of communities that he left behind, Musa has a legend that could give the fictional Black Panther a run for his money. As far as wealth goes, it is nearly impossible to quantify the riches that Musa had during his lifetime. The vastness of Musa’s land and material holdings, University of Michigan associate history professor Rudolph Ware explained in Time, seems downright incomprehensible today: “Imagine as much gold as you think a human being could possess and double it." As this month continues we will continue to share stories of prosperity, empowerment and pride. And if you have any significant facts or pieces of history to share with us - please email them to me, and I would be happy to include them in Bright Times. 

Let's have an AWESOME week!