Special to the Journal
As Revere Public Schools wraps up its month-long celebration of Black History Month, the district is looking back on its series of important conversations that honored the voices, experiences, and cultural traditions that continue to shape the school community.
Last week, RPS released the third episode that is part of its special video series, “From Where We Come.” This episode featured Black teachers, school leaders, and students and tells personal stories about heritage, determination, and the importance of Black History. (Scan QR Code to Watch).
Cassandra Sermon, the proud principal of Lincoln Elementary School, talked about what it was like to be a Haitian-American teacher. Sermon was born in Miami but grew up in Massachusetts. She got her degree in elementary education from Oakwood University, a historically Black university in Alabama. She taught in Brooklyn, New York, and later got two master’s degrees from Long Island University.
Sermon talked honestly about how important it is for students to see leaders who look like them and how being a role model can change their lives. She thought about how proud she was of her Haitian roots and how important it is to fully accept one’s culture. “Don’t ever be ashamed of where you come from,” she told the students. “Shine and stay focused on your goals no matter what.”
Abel Aklog, a senior at Revere High School, thought about his Ethiopian roots and the values his parents taught him after they moved to the U.S. in 2001. Family, kindness, and shared responsibility are still important to Aklog’s sense of self. He said that Black History Month is a time to remember the sacrifices that ancestors made to make things better for future generations.
Revere High junior Emma DeCrosta talked about what it was like to be an African American student with two races and how she dealt with her identity. She said that Black History Month is a time to learn more, appreciate other cultures, and understand what Black students go through in real life. Her ideas about how education and empathy can make communities stronger stood out.
Zaney Kayembe, a senior whose parents came to the US from the Democratic Republic of Congo, talked about growing up in Revere and making friends with people from other cultures. Kayembe says that Black History Month is a good time to remember how strong people are who have been through hard times and come out stronger. It’s also a good time to remember how easy it is to accept who you are and where you came from.
Jonathan Elivert, a biology teacher, also told a very personal story about how he found strength and purpose. Elivert’s father was Haitian, and his mother was from Brooklyn. He grew up in Massachusetts. He wanted to work in medicine at first, but a car accident in college almost killed him. After receiving a cancer diagnosis in 2024, Elivert contemplated his priorities. He chose to pursue his love of teaching.
Elivert stated that students must encounter teachers who don’t conform to traditional teacher stereotypes. He said that students are often shocked when they see someone who doesn’t fit that mold. He believes that Black History Month is a good time to think about how far we’ve come and the contributions that Black Americans have made to the arts, culture, and sciences in the United States. “It’s a time to remember and honor the fact that Black people had a huge impact on making America what it is today,” he said.
The From Where We Come series showed how different Black identities can be, like those of people from the Caribbean, Africa, and the United States, and people who are both Black and white. It reminded people that Black history is complicated and interconnected. RPS showed again that they want everyone to feel like they belong, are represented, and are proud of their schools with these stories.
The national theme for this year, A Century of Black History Commemorations, marks 100 years since Carter G. Woodson started what would become a nationwide celebration of the accomplishments and contributions of Black Americans.