“We can be warriors, business. Doctors, anyone we want to be,” said one of the Sto-Rox students who performed a reading on Friday during the SOUL (Showcasing Our Unique Legacy) Celebration/Title I Event at the Jr./Sr. High School. “Don’t let anyone take you down.”
That exemplified the uplifting message present all around the school on Friday afternoon. The third annual event took place in the Jr./Sr. High School Auditorium and Gymnasium, with students allowed to attend provided they met certain criteria, including attendance.
Attendees were treated to student poetry readings and a presentation of Black voices in the arts including Rudy Francisco, Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou ,Nikki Giovani, and Amanda Gorman. Sto-Rox Cheerleaders also performed. a TikTok dance demo was held by co-founder of the Kulture Dance Company, Kaihja Gomez, and students were then treated to a special lunch along with a resource and activity fair in the gym featuring a drum circle, a caricature artist, student artwork and much more.
The District would like to thank all of the groups who showed up to share their resources and activities, and the people who donated food, not to mention the students who provided artwork and the student groups - The Culture Club, SADD, and Student Council - who helped to organize the event along with District Social Worker Alex Gariepy.
Providers
Focus On Renewal
Amachi
Allegheny Health Network
Allegheny Children’s Institute
NEED
Sto-Rox SADD Club
Steel City Impact
Infinite lifestyle solutions
UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital
BAM (Becoming A Man)
Drum Circle provided by PACS (Pittsburgh Area Community Schools)
Art Gallery
Art Club members and selected students
DOWNLOAD: SOUL Art Showcase (PDF)
Student Readers/Poets
Karma Boxley
Aaliyah Wilson
Destiney Robinson
Jaliya Kerney
Raynell Jean Baptiste
Eric Richardson
Asya’nae White
Kele McCray Pritchard
Deymir Pollard