Durant High School has always acknowledged Hispanic Heritage Month, but it took things to the next level the week of Sept. 25.
The school hosted “Hispanic Heritage Week” as a way to celebrate the month, which runs from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, in a way that would draw more attention to the month than it had in the past. Each day, during all three lunch periods, Durant students could learn all about different cultures in interactive ways just by visiting the school’s courtyard.
Food provided by students, staff and local businesses, as well as music performed by Victor and Esther Suarez-Moreno on Sept. 28, were focal points of the celebration. Everything presented to the students, from Cuban food samples to Ecuadorian sodas and flamenco demonstrations, served an educational purpose. The event also promoted the Pulsera Project, which uses the sale of handcrafted goods to help workers in Nicaragua and Guatemala earn fair wages and gain housing and employment.
It was also a way to celebrate the school’s Hispanic student body, paraprofessional Raquel Arias said.
“Despite the political climate that we’re in Durant’s created a safe space for our kids to embrace their culture,” Arias said.
Theresa Williams, Assistant Principal for Student Affairs, said the week has inspired students and staff to consider similar events for other heritage celebration periods, such as Black History Month.
“I just love seeing how our staff and our students came together to recognize this week,” Williams said.