Gilman's own Lower School counselor Laura Jordan and fourth grade teacher Karen Cooper presented at the first Juneteenth Speaker Series of the school year. The pair spoke to Middle and Upper School students about their travels together over the summer — to the Whitney Plantation Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana, and to the Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama
Established in 2021, Gilman's Juneteenth Speaker Series is designed to highlight and celebrate modern-day contributions to African American culture and initiatives.
The 2022-2023 series for Middle and Upper School students includes:
Author Dr. Lawrence Brown, who wrote “The Black Butterfly: The Harmful Politics of Race and Space in America,” spoke to Middle and Upper School students on Friday, November 18. The city of Baltimore played a leading role in the national topics he discussed, including the Civil War, segregation, and redlining.
Juneteenth speaker Sheryll Cashin, author of “White Space, Black Hood: Opportunity Hoarding and Segregation in the Age of Inequality” and other books, spoke to Upper School students on Thursday, February 16, during Black History Month.
Juneteenth speaker Maria Broom — an actor, dancer, teacher, and storyteller with more than 40 years of various life and professional experiences — visited Upper School and Middle School assemblies on Thursday, March 9.
The 2022-2023 series for Lower School students includes:
Standing on the Alumni Auditorium stage in an orange tunic with a shekere (West African instrument) in hand, Juneteenth speaker Gordon Parks began his time with the Lower School community on October 26 engaging them in a song that highlighted the importance of storytelling.
Sista' Martha Ruff visited Lower School students on Wednesday, January 18 as part of the Juneteenth Speaker Series. Ruff is an African American folklore and culture storyteller, former Lower School librarian at Gilman from 1986 to 1992, and grandmother to a Gilman second grader.
Bob Smith is an actor and storyteller whose talent is seen on stage, television, and movies. He performs in living history productions as Benjamin Banneker and Paul Laurence Dunbar as he “Brings Them Back Alive.” Bob's shows have been presented throughout the mid-Atlantic states.