Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Students To Showcase Black History Through Living Museum Today

Elementary students will portray historical figures at Robinson Recreation Center tonight

Pasadena Unified School District’s annual Black History Living Museum (BHLM) takes place tonight at Robinson Recreation Center. The event features third through fifth grade students bringing notable Black historical figures to life through performances and creative presentations, offering visitors an interactive experience with history.

“You know why it’s ‘Living’? Because our history is alive and well. It’s not the past, it’s now,” explained Nicole Phoenix, Black History Living Museum Co-Chair.

The museum opens to the public at 6:00 p.m. at 1081 N. Fair Oaks Avenue in Pasadena.

Students will create presentation boards and deliver original 90-second monologues in character, complete with costumes and props that transform the space into an interactive exhibition. Visitors can “press a button” to activate the costumed students, who will then deliver memorized speeches about the historical figures they portray.

“The Living History Museum is a collection of visual displays where students dress as famous individuals. They will stand on attention, and the audience will walk around and tour the exhibits and get to experience the life of the actual person,” said Phoenix, who serves as Co-Chair of the BHLM project.

This year’s participants will compete for a first-place trophy that will be displayed at their school. The event, presented by PUSD’s African American Parent Council (AAPC), has become one of the organization’s most beloved initiatives since its debut in May 2019, with only a temporary adaptation to an online format during the pandemic.

The BHLM showcase features Black ingenuity and innovation through students’ presentation boards, portrayals, and oration of Black figures who have inspired them. The experience offers students valuable opportunities to expand their knowledge of Black Americans’ contributions, enhance research skills, showcase creativity, and develop public speaking confidence.

The BHLM is designed to foster unity and shared humanity through storytelling, allowing students to relate to and see themselves in the person they’ve researched. This approach helps students engage deeply with African-American history while developing essential academic and presentation skills.

The African American Parent Council, a coalition of parents, students, schools, and communities, honors and embraces the identity of PUSD’s African-American families while advocating for cultural acceptance and mobilizing stakeholders to ensure high-quality education for every student.

The organization has expressed hope to bring the BHLM to other venues in the future, such as Pasadena City Hall, to increase community involvement beyond those with students in the District.

Families and community members are encouraged to attend and support participating students. Those with questions can contact the organizers via email at info@aapcpusd.com.