Building cultural bridges; Lynn English celebrates Black History Month

LYNN – Several hundred students poured into Lynn English High School auditorium on Monday afternoon for an assembly concluding Black History Month.The assembly featured performances by the Lynn English Gospel Choir, and Building Bridges Through Music, a non-profit, multicultural performing arts organization from Lynn. The event was part of a series of interdisciplinary and cultural activities held throughout February,Linda Barefield, the library and media specialist at Lynn English, said students studied various aspects of African-American culture, including African drums, step dancing, gospel music and other traditions.?In English class they studied African-American poets and authors, in science class they studied the inventors and mathematicians,” Barefield said. “We have 44 dialects in the building, so to see the interaction of all the different cultures has been great.”As a way to study the cultural tradition of gospel music, students in the Lynn English Gospel Choir performed several songs, and students from English?s African American Club read poems.A performance by Building Bridges Through Music?s community choir concluded the assembly, and included songs such as “My Tribute,” and “Sweet, Sweet Spirit.”Doreen Murray, co-founder and Artistic Programs Director of Building Bridges Through Music, lead the group, and told the audience that music is an educational tool that can be used to create racial harmony and to spread the word of peace.Murray?s mother, Virginia Peacock-Makkers – who is also the Executive Director of Building Bridges through Music – accompanied the choir on the piano.Murray, who grew up in Saugus and won the North of Boston Businesswomen of the Year Award in 2008, said that Building Bridges through Music has been part of the Lynn community for 11 years. Through a variety of programs, Murray and Peacock-Makkers have worked with students from KIPP Academy and the Ford School. Murray said they hope to get more young adults involved in their community youth outreach programs.Lynn English junior Shericia Salmon has been performing with Murray for three years, and said that she would like to see more English students singing in the choir.Salmon, who is also a member of English?s African American Club, participated in the assembly by reading Maya Angelou?s poem “Still I Rise.”?It?s really fun and interesting because we learn a lot about the people who fought for our rights,” Salmon explained.She noted that the group had the opportunity to perform at the Martin Luther King breakfast held in January at Lynn City Hall.At the end of the assembly, Barefield said she was pleased with the response from the students, many of whom clapped and sang along with the music.While Black History Month is over, Lynn English has other cultural activities planned, including a Mardi Gras event on March 8 and Saint Patrick?s Day on March 17.?When arts and culture are integrated into the classroom, students learn better, and test scores go up,” Barefield said.