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Schools

Stamford Students Learn About Black History Through Music, Stories

Students gathered at the Ferguson Library South End Branch Wednesday to hear stories and play music celebrating Black History Month.

“We have a special treat for you today,” Josephine Fulcher-Anderson, supervisor at , said to a group of children Wednesday afternoon.

While the students normally come to the library each week, this time they celebrated Black History Month with the 22nd Annual African-American Read-In. Stories were read aloud and the afternoon wasn’t complete without a rousing rendition of "This Little Light of Mine" with instruments to boot.

“I think it’s good to expose them to different cultures,” Camera Dukes, teacher at the CTE Youth and Education elementary after-school program, told Patch. “I think today went well, and the instruments were very interactive. The library always plans good, age appropriate activities for the kids.”

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CTE Tomorrow’s Promise After-School Program's mission is to provide academic enrichment, social development, community awareness and recreation for grades K-12. According to Dukes, the group of students, ages 5-7, come to the library each Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. to do different literacy activities. 

The event has been held at the South End Branch for over 15 years,  Fulcher-Anderson said, and is usually held on a week when school is in session. The students who attended the read-in Wednesday are part of the CTE vacation camp.

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Doug Cassel — known to the students as Mr. Doug — is the IT manager for CTE and volunteered to read to the children. “I just want to see the kids smile, and I plan to do this again," he said.

On Feb. 17, the South End Branch also hosted an event for students to make a choo- choo train to “take a trip through Black History with stories, music, and crafts.”

“Everyone stands on someone’s shoulders,” Fulcher-Anderson said, displaying the train handmade train connecting black leaders throughout history. “We celebrate everything here.”

Next month is Women’s History Month and CTE’s own Camera Dukes will be speaking at an event for adults.

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