The TMLA club is proud of its African American and Caribbean students | Tech Reddy

JAMAICA ESTATES – Adrionna DaGillard, a senior at Mary Louis Academy, admires black women who make a difference in society, whether at the front or behind the scenes.

As a member of the school’s African Heritage/Caribbean Club, she had the opportunity to learn about the contributions of women such as NASA scientist Katherine Johnson, who played a key role in the space race by calculating the trajectory needed to safely land Apollo 11. to the moon and back.

“And as a black woman working at NASA in the 1950s and ’60s, she overcame boundaries and racial discrimination,” Adrionna said of the woman behind the “Hidden Figures” cast.

“He really inspired me. Her story taught me to never let anyone or anything stop me,” Adrionna added.

The African Heritage/Caribbean Club is one of the largest organizations at Mary Louis Academy, with approximately 40 members. Its purpose is to promote African and Caribbean culture and pride of student members.

In honor of Black Catholic History Month in November, these girls’ Catholic high school club members are renewing their goals and considering their reasons for joining the organization.

Senior Amara Hall, president of the club, said she wanted to be a part of it “because I wanted a place where I could show people my culture and also expand my knowledge about other African and Caribbean cultures that I wasn’t familiar with.”

He learned a lot, not just about culture. “I learned to approach situations differently and to consider other people’s feelings. Because different backgrounds have different ways of living and different ways of understanding,” he explained.

Adrionna, who is also president of the school’s Black Student Union, has been a member of the club since freshman year.

“When I was a freshman, I was worried that I wouldn’t be around black students in my class. But joining clubs like this helped me find other people who knew about what I was going through as a black student and a black woman,” she recalls.

The moderator of the club is school psychologist Kristina Sama. He sees his role as a facilitator. “I really want to be an additional ally to black students, help protect their community, and help further educate our community,” she explained.

Like her students, Sama learned a lot from participating in the club, especially about the ways in which minority groups face discrimination.

“I think I learned about the microaggressions there; learning that language is important and where it is important. How we present ourselves and how we interact with others can make a big difference,” she said.

Most club meetings involve open, honest conversations about life experiences.

After the death of George Floyd in 2020, club members spent time consoling each other. “I was at home because COVID closed the schools,” Sarah Wilson recalled. “I believe I spoke on the phone, on FaceTime, with Amara and a few other friends. We are disappointed.”

The tragedy of George Floyd and the subsequent Black Lives Matter movement inspired Mary Louis Academy to form the Black Student Union.

The African Heritage/Caribbean Club allows members to learn about prominent figures in Black history.

Sarah enjoyed learning about businesswoman Madame C.J. Walker (1867-1919), the first black millionaire in the United States. “To be honest, if it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t have such great products today,” Sarah said.

Amara identified baseball hall of famer Jackie Robinson as someone whose biography was meaningful to her. “He really inspires me because he plays baseball and I play softball. He broke the barrier for African-Americans playing baseball. And now I’m one of two African American girls on my softball team. So I really connected with him and wanted to break barriers like he did,” she said.

Adrionna, in addition to Kathryn Johnson, expressed her admiration for him Kailee Scales, the first executive director of the Black Lives Matter Global Action Network, is a graduate of Mary Louis Academy. Currently weighing CEO of Pencils of Promise, a non-profit organization that builds schools for underprivileged children in Guatemala, Ghana and Laos.

Principal Ann O’Hagan-Cordes said the African Heritage/Caribbean Club plays an important role on campus.

“Members of the club provide a safe space for our students to discuss important issues in society, exchange ideas and embrace their cultural identity,” he explained.