George C Marshall High School - Columbian Yearbook (Falls Church, VA)

Page 55 text:

Blacks commemorate progress Black History Week Committee — Bottom row: Karen Bailey, Lenora Barnes, Robin Barnes, Val- Renea Ford, Geraldine Williams; Top row: lerie Collins, Ronald Jones, Gilda Swanson, Tim Tijuana Hudson, Ann Gaskins, Karen Perry, Springs. Gloria Jackson, Charlie Williams. Not Pictured:

Page 54 text:

Celebrated annually by forty states, Black History Week ran from the ninth to the sixteenth of February. A black historian, Carter C. Wilson, founded Black History Week to commemorate outstanding Blacks, and to recognize relatively-neglected Black contributions to society. The project was intiated at Marshall with the administration's help, and the sponsorship of Mr. Harold Lawson. Actively promoting the activities, ninety per cent of Marshall's Black students traveled to George Mason University to hear Lacey O'Neil and Ray Jefferson speak on The Black Athlete. Three weeks ot planning were behind student artwork-oriented bulletin boards. Black achievers and their contributions (including air brakes, heart transplants and stop lights) were recon-ized throughout the school. In addition a slide show was presented in the GCM cafeteria. Short biographies were presented on Black statesmen, and a library display initiated response from the student body as a I whole. f A Soul Explosion Dance was planned to be extension of the week. A flexible committee worked throughout February to ready the cafeteria-located dance. The hoped-for result of Black History Week was not focused towards black pride alone. Mr. Harold Lawson summed up the school's goal: Black students are looking forward to the day and time when standard textbooks will . recognize the contributions made in America regardless of race.” Below: Gloria Jackson, Gary Tinner, Renca Ford and Kevin Jackson (Monkery) pose in front of their handiwork. 50 - -. • '• • '. .• v f Ann-.Gaskins organizer of -TKe Scxil Explosion Dance, practices up-on her boogie.

Page 56 text:

Another Marshall first opened in February when the students of the Drama III Class presented the Three-Act Play Festival. The Festival consisted of four full scale shows, each directed by a Drama III student, and varying in type among comedy, abstract, musical, drama and mystery. Auditioning for the plays was in December, and once each cast was set, everyone got down to serious rehearsing. Each show was presenter! on a different night and was, as the Playbill told each audience, the realism of a goal, set way back in Drama II Class, that goal being to learn the skills of directing, to a point where a full scale show can be produced. Despite difficult set construction, delays because of snow, illness in the casts, even during the performances, and missing popped knichis, the shows went on. 52 Andy Shaw, Sean Carlson, Linda Schoumacher, Gail Perry and Susan Durin act death in the Circus of Life, directed by Carolyn Chryst.