Earlier this month, South Brunswick High School held its first-ever African American Read-In event. The event took place on March 10 and 11, featuring different books, poems, and a fiery TED Talk, all of which celebrated African American culture. The Read-In was part of a larger organizational movement from the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), which has supported similar events across the country.
One of the attendees, Liam Robertson (’29), shared his thoughts with the Vibe after the event. “It was great to hear other voices, and just how empowering it could be.”
The pieces presented were very interesting. Teachers, staff members, and students read excerpts from speeches, picture books, and novels. Mr. Peter Honig, an English teacher, read passages from “The Fire Next Time” and “Sonny’s Blues” by African-American author James Baldwin, pieces which highlighted the paradoxes of race in America Mrs. Cristina Janis read a picture book called “Hair Love” by Matthew A. Cherry and illustrator Vashti Harrison. The book is about a Black father learning how to style his daughter’s hair. Throughout the story, the daughter learns to love and appreciate her hair, which Mrs. Cristina Janis personally related to her own efforts to care for her daughter’s curly hair. Principal Mr. Peter Varela read a speech written by former President Barack Obama. The speech was about the importance of education to not only individual students but also the advancement of the United States as a whole, since a country is just the sum of all of its individual parts.
English Supervisor Mr. Daniel Brack read passages from “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” an argumentative masterpiece by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., written after he was arrested for his peaceful protests. The passage discussed the difference between unjust and just laws and how segregation destroys the soul.
When asked about why he specifically chose “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Mr. Brack said, “I was a former Advanced Placement Language and Composition teacher, and that was one of the pieces that we studied. It is a masterclass in argumentation, and in AP Lang, what you learn is the use of ethos, logos, pathos to persuade an audience, and there is nobody better at that than Martin Luther King Jr.”
The kinds of argumentative pieces presented were not simply derived from historical authors and speakers, either. The speech “The Danger of Silence” by Clint Smith was recited by Ramatulai Sesay (’26), a speech that discussed the importance of using your voice when being confronted with injustice.
The Read-In was an interesting new form of educating students through various mediums of literature and public speaking. The event presented a variety of diverse ideas from African-American leaders and authors, and properly represented the richness of the culture of millions of Americans today.
Considering it was the first Read-In at SBHS, it makes one wonder what the future will look like for the Black Onyx Club. Since its founding, Black Onyx has held many successful events and meetings that focus on the representation of minority groups at SBHS. Some events they have held include their Annual Roundtable discussion or Unity in Colors Ball. The roundtable discussion was meant to expand on rights and liberties of individuals while the Unity ball was a moment for students to dress in traditional garments and celebrate one another’s diverse cultures. They have also made their own documentary film named “Beyond the Surface: Unveiling the Minority Student Experience at SBHS,” which covered the experience of Black students in our school.
The African-American Read-In is just the next chapter of what clubs like Black Onyx are capable of accomplishing. Their success in this year’s event opens the opportunity for future annual Read-Ins and other events that support underrepresented authors.
Black Onyx Co-President Petralyn Yeboah-Manson (’26) said, “I think that reading black literature and understanding that black writers have something to offer in the mainstream is really important because you see a lot of contributions to sports and pop culture, but, taking a step back to see that they also have literature and art to offer is very important for outreach.”
The event’s impact goes to show how publicity will strengthen and help the club grow. Students are now finding out more about Black Onyx, which may encourage many to join it. It also gives more attention to the Read-In and those who are willing to be future reciters.
Black Onyx Co-President Ramatulai Sesay (’26) described the importance of the club in her own high school experience: “It was a safe space for me, somewhere I could talk about my experiences, and I was just comfortable having conversations that I couldn’t have in my regular classes.” Black Onyx has opened up a new realm of opportunities for anyone who wants to contribute, learn, and grow. The future is looking bright as they continue to create awareness through their many events.
This story was written by: Om Bhaskar (’27), Sahil Kumar (’29), Alya Saha (’29), Giuliana Spina (’28), Paige Pasquariello (’26), Eliza Khan (’26), Safia Husain (’28), Ariba Ahmad (’29), and Alexandra Tadros (’27)
