February has been busy here at Boys & Girls Club of Metropolitan Baltimore, celebrating Black History Month in style. Our Clubs are always focused on uplifting our community, and this month Club staff focused on celebrating Black culture, community, and social impact.
At our Westport Club, families joined the staff for a Paint & Chat focused on emotional and mental wellness. Club Manager Wes spoke of the importance of fostering wellness within the family and community, and we had some important conversations about taking care of ourselves and each other.
Webster Kendrick also got artsy with crafts centered around Black history. Kids gathered to create their own Black History Month paintings and kept the love going with a Sweethearts Dance around Valentine’s Day.
Our O'Donnell Heights Club kept the celebrations going all month long, with classes on Dashiki (a style of traditional West African clothing), and crossbody bag making—both created by our Club kids in the sewing room—and Sip & Paint discussions on significant Black figures throughout history.
At The Door, kids learned about the path carved by so many Black individuals in the past to get us to where we are today. During a “memorial service”, Club kids and staff prepared and delivered speeches as individuals like Martin Luther King Jr., Loretta Scott King, and Emmett Till. This poignant experience was balanced by a lighthearted trivia game on Black history in collaboration with the Morgan State NAACP chapter.
Our Brooklyn O'Malley Club closed out their month of programming with a Greek Step Show, performed by select Club staff who are also members of Kappa Alpha Psi. The lesson and show were electric and incorporated everything from Historically Black colleges to traditional dance forms.
At Laurel Woods, Club Manager Justin Lawrence let Club Staff take the lead with weekly themes and programs including music, sports, and African American firsts. Activities included instrument decoration, restorative brain breaks, and a matching game pairing famous Black musicians to the right decade.
Our Leonards Lane Club in Cambridge hosted their second annual Self-Love Day! Workshops and activities focused on personal growth and love. Community members including barbers, stylists and coaches volunteered to pamper the kids, teach self-care lessons, and promote loving oneself in all ways.
Teens at our Pocomoke Club dedicated their daily Power Hour lessons to a significant Black individual, as a chance for our kids to see themselves in myriad roles as they grow up.
As diverse as we are across our Baltimore and Eastern Shore Clubs, celebrating Black History Month isn't just about the past—it's about paving the way for a more inclusive future. So, here's to recognizing the power and freedom in connecting with our culture and identities, today and every day. Happy Black History Month from all of us at Boys & Girls Club of Metropolitan Baltimore!