Bessemer Students Celebrate Black History Month

Page Motley Mims (top, center), media specialist at Bessemer Elementary School and Afrique Kilimanjaro (seated, center), editor of The Carolina Peacemaker (center), with Bessemer fourth grade students.

To celebrate Black History Month, Page Motley Mims, media specialist at Bessemer Elementary School on Huffine Mill Road in Greensboro, presented African American people who are pacesetters, leaders and/or firsts in our community.

Tracey McCain, WFMY News 2 morning anchor spoke to Bessemer fifth graders about her work in journalism. Rep. Alma Adams, the 100th woman in the U.S. Congress representing North Carolina’s 12th District and Yvonne Johnson, former mayor of Greensboro and current at-large Greensboro City Council person visited third and fourth grade students respectively on Feb. 18. Sandra Hughes, retired WFMY News 2 anchor who teaches journalism at North Carolina A&T State University, shared her civil rights experiences with fourth grade students on February 19. On February 24, Lisa Johnson-Tonkins, the first African American Guilford County Clerk of Superior Court discussed her role in the court system and encouraged fourth graders to stay in school and work hard. Lastly, Afrique Kilimanjaro, editor of the Carolina Peacemaker spoke to fourth graders about the Carolina Peacemaker and the importance of reading on Thursday, February 25.

These visits by Greensboro community members were to inspire young people to achieve great things in life and excel academically. The principal of Bessemer Elementary School is Ronald Dixon.