The African-American Heritage and Culture Club (AAHAC), a fairly
new club at Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, is making a significant
impact within the school. Led by juniors Taylor Johnson and Bryan Bokino, as
well as senior Abigail Abraham, the AAHAC club debuted in early 2018. The main
goal of the club is to inform the community on African-American history,
culture and heritage.
When Johnson, the founder and leader of the club, transferred to
Ireton during her sophomore year, she noticed there was a misunderstanding
about African-American culture. Taylor explained how she was inspired after
watching the movie “Hidden Figures,” which highlighted three African-American
women who made crucial contributions to NASA space exploration. She was
fascinated by them and surprised that she had never heard of these women. This
motivated her to create the club and promote an increased understanding of
other “hidden figures.”
The club aims to augment information already included in the
school’s curriculum about African-American history and culture. Bokino
explained that clubs such as AAHAC help discourage the use of racial slurs that
are insulting, dismissive and disrespectful. Another major goal of the club
includes recognizing and appreciating the importance of notable African-American
figures, such as mathematician Katherine Johnson, physicist Dr. Shirley Jackson
and inventor Garrett Morgan.
“It’s fulfilling and important to educate ourselves on our
ancestry and learn about those who have done great things in our community,”
said Abraham.
It is crucial today for everyone to appreciate African-American
culture not only during February, Black History Month, but throughout the
entire year. Earlier in February, the club hosted an event called “Phenomenal
Friday,” (named after Maya Angelou’s poem “Phenomenal Woman”), which featured
games, a Rubix Cube, jazz and poetry recitations celebrating Black History
Month. The AAHAC club plans to increase awareness by promoting African-American
culture through other events and activities at Ireton.