Reflecting on Black History Month with a South Side Principal

Black History Month may have lasted for 28 days this year, but, for Principal Robert Towner, exposing his students at Fernwood Elementary School to their history and culture has been a commitment that has lasted for more than 20 years.

When he joined the school in the early 2000s, one of the first things he noticed was a lack of history within the curriculum. He made it a priority to incorporate more history, particularly African American studies, into what students were learning, not just during Black History Month, but throughout the entire school year.

“Our thinking is that if we continue to immerse students in Black excellence, they will graduate from our school being able to make conscious decisions that exemplify excellence,” he said. “We want them to have experiences comparable to schools in other parts of the city and leave Fernwood being proud of the school that they attended.”

This pride parallels how Principal Towner feels about coming from a long line of educators. His grandmother, one of his personal heroes, was one of the first women to obtain a master’s degree in Mississippi. His heritage is the basis of his personal mission to help every student take their education seriously.

“Inscribed in Latin at the bottom of our school shield is the phrase: ‘Only the educated are free,’” he said. “That’s why it’s so important to us to treat Black history as something more than just a month in the year. It’s every day of every year.”

Principal Towner and his team have worked hard to make Fernwood’s physical appearance reflective of this mission. Take a look at the pictures below!