From Stepping to Spoken Word, BSA Celebrates Culture and Connection

Houston High School’s Black Student Association made history Feb. 26, hosting its first full-scale student-led Black History program, an evening centered on culture, community and student voice.

Music, poetry, stepping and celebration filled the auditorium as students took the stage with confidence and pride. But behind the scenes, the momentum began months earlier.

Two years ago, students approached Assistant Principal April Miller with a request. Houston did not have a Black Student Association. Miller agreed to sponsor and guide the group, working alongside Ms. Fisher, Ms. Wiley and Ms. Chandler to help students build something lasting. This year, BSA includes 42 members, with a student advisory council that leads meetings, plans events and drives initiatives.

Last fall, students proposed going bigger with a full Black History program.

“They wanted it to be more than just something small,” Miller said. “And once a student places their trust in you, you cannot back out. People remember what you do, not what you say.”

Miller and the sponsors supported the students, but with one clear commitment. The program would be entirely student led. Adults would not narrate or take the spotlight. The students would own it.

For BSA Student Leader Clara Pieh, the night was about creating space.

“We felt like it was about time that Houston High School did something [on a grander scale] for Black History,” Pieh said. “We’re here, and our voices should be heard.”

The event featured musical performances by Courtney Richardson and Johnathan Chandler, stepping by members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council from the University of Memphis, spoken word poetry from BSA members and a Divine Nine presentation introducing students to historically Black fraternities and sororities.

Dr. Christopher B. Davis, president of LeMoyne-Owen College, delivered the keynote address, reinforcing the theme of pride and possibility.

The weight of the evening extended beyond the performances.

“When Ms. Ross said this was the first time in our school’s 30-year history that Black history had been honored in this way with students at the forefront, that’s when it hit me,” Miller said. “These kids made history. They allowed their voices to be heard.”

For Miller, who is in her fourth year in the district, the evening carried personal significance.

“That night was validation,” she said. “It meant I have a place here, too.”

Miller shared that growing up hearing stories from her father, born in 1927 and raised in the Jim Crow South, shaped her deep pride in heritage and history. Watching students celebrate their identity so openly was powerful.

“To see them cheering for themselves and proud of who they are and where they come from, that was powerful,” she said.

Throughout February, BSA extended the celebration beyond the program itself. Each Thursday, students hosted Black History trivia in the lobby, engaging peers through interactive Kahoot competitions and small prizes. The month culminated in the evening program and a field trip the very next morning, when Miller and 44 students departed at 7 a.m. for a Black History experience in Birmingham, Alabama.

The work was student driven at every turn.

Sophomore Leif Osborne and Jocelyn Oakley, juniors Scottkey Miller and Malia Miller, alongside senior Clara Pieh, and members of the student advisory council were among those who helped push the vision forward. Students from Beautifully Unique and Facing History and Ourselves also collaborated, including an interpretive dance performance by Neya Murray that added depth to the evening.

The turnout exceeded expectations. Families, church members and friends packed the auditorium, creating one of the most diverse crowds the school has seen for a cultural program.

“I think Houston lived up to its mantra that night,” Miller said. “We say we want a pathway for every child. That night, we did not just say it. We lived it.”

Community partnerships continue to grow as a result. Leaders from LeMoyne-Owen College and the University of Memphis were eager to participate, and additional organizations have already reached out about future involvement.

“When the community starts reaching back and saying, ‘We want to be part of this,’ that’s when you know it matters,” Miller said.

Asked to describe the evening in one word, Pieh did not hesitate.

“Pride,” she said. “Being Black is something to celebrate, and it is important to carry that pride with you every day.”

With a young membership base and momentum building, BSA is already looking ahead to next year’s program and future Black History Month experiences.

Programs like this create more than a moment. They create belonging.

And on this night, Houston High School made space for every voice to be heard.