Kokomo High's uncontroversial Black History Month

“Civil Rights to me is fighting for something that should have been ours in the first place” - - Morgan McCloud, Kokomo High School junior.

Plez Lawrence is Kokomo High School’s MVP, All-State football running back, and an ordained minister who is now headed to Indiana State University to play and preach. But last Wednesday, during the school’s noon lunch break, Lawrence was performing on another stage in an outfit impersonating the character of Kel Mitchell, the actor/comedian from the movie “Good Burger.” Mitchell also became a licensed youth pastor in 2019.

Plez Lawrence as Kel Mitchell

“It’s Black History Month, and Black people have done a lot for us and the community. So, I just wanted to let people know what our culture is about,” Lawrence said. “I’m running with God, and I just committed to Indiana State football.”

The charismatic Lawrence was one of the 31 African American Kokomo High School students lined up outside the cafeteria, participating in the fifth annual Black History “Live” Museum. This year, it was a group of popular actors portrayed by Kokomo’s Black students, who account for 12 percent of the Kats’ 2,000 students.

Kordyan Davis was one of them I witnessed, who did a split in high heel boots as part of his portrayal of the late musician and flamboyant persona of Prince.

“He was a very talented artist and a free spirit,” said Davis, a former member of the competitive dance team.

His Prince portrayal included wearing a pair of high heel boots, which the late singer, and actor popularized during his performances.

Kordyan Davis as Prince

“It’s been a big challenge; these are really not my type of shoes,” said Davis. “As soon as I picked Prince, I was like, ‘that’s going to be a good character to play because he’s so outgoing and crazy; and so am I.’”

Davis is studying to be a restaurant entrepreneur, and “create my own coffee. It’s going to be bold and delicious. I love coffee.”

Morgan McCloud, a junior, produced and directed the student-organized event. It was her show.

“I chose actors and actresses because there is such a wide variety of people, and it shows that we are not all the same,” explained McCloud, a popular student leader. “We are all different sizes. We’re all different shades. We’re all different, but we are all Black.”

Students portrayed civil rights activists during the first Black History Month Museum, followed by entrepreneurs, inventors, and musicians in succeeding years.

“I haven’t gotten any pushback; it’s been majority positive which is very good,” McCloud acknowledged. “I am very pleased by that. There is already so much controversy with Black History Month in general across the country”

McCloud also revealed there are no other African American organizations nor specific activities targeted for Black students.

Morgan McCloud, event producer

“This was a valuable experience for them, and for the student body also,” McCloud said. “It is very important to see how diverse the Black community is. It’s just nice the variety of different students coming together. I’m glad that everyone understood there was a purpose for this happening, and that they all served that purpose.”

When approached and talked to, the Museum students “acted” in character of the movie and the actor they chose because it was designed as an interactive event – a learning and listening episode.

“We have a significant number of African American students who want to demonstrate pride in their heritage, and me too,” said Jennifer Scott, an English teacher and event advisor. “A lot of students don’t understand Black History Month; don’t understand the need for it; don’t understand the meaning behind it. I have even had students asking me today, ‘What are you doing this for?’ So, it brings out the courage and tenacity, in this case, of African American actors and actresses.”

While Scott agreed that Black History books and classroom teaching have “absolutely” become contentious, she has not suffered any parental pushback about this observance she has coached and curated.

“Not at all. In fact, I have heard the opposite. ‘Are we doing anything to celebrate Black history? What are we doing?’,” Scott reveals. “We’ve done an historical fact of the day all this month from the students that created this museum.”

She added, “It makes me feel extremely proud of the students. What does it do? It humbles me because these students really stepped up, did all the work, and took pride in demonstrating their heritage.”

David Barnes, who has taught and coached track for 30 years, and has been Kokomo High School’s communications director for the past 13 years, said “it is a wonderful thing. We see it as an outstanding learning experience. I was so happy when they started it. It is something that should have been done a long time ago.”