VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Inclusion, unity, and advocacy are just some topics members of the Virginia Beach City Public School system will discuss with students for their Black History Initiative Summit.
“There was a time where Blacks could not go to public schools and so what they did is they created their own school and that was Princess Anne County Training School,” said Virginia Beach City Public Schools Equity and Opportunity Coordinator Dr. Sebrina Lindsay-Law.
Dr. Lindsay-Law said some of her relatives attended that segregated school and she wants students to understand how others fought through the struggle and were able to succeed.
“It showed that persistence and showed that perseverance. It showed that pride that they had, that we understand that education is the great equalizer and even today, it's still the great equalizer," she said.
Dr. Lindsay-Law said the Black History Initiative Summit will have 32 speakers including students and city leaders. The main topics of discussion are unity, inclusion, and advocacy.
“What we want to do is ... bring those generational experiences, ideas within our local community and collaborate about how we can continue to grow as a community," she said.
Dr. Lindsey-Law explained this summit is one of many meetings the school division plans to host throughout the year.
“We look at Black history and we shine a spotlight on it this month; we want people to understand that there are intricate parts that everyone plays in history that we have," said Dr. Lindsay-Law.
The summit will be held through Zoom on Saturday, February 6, 2021, from 9 a.m. to noon. Anyone in the Virginia Beach City Public Schools system can register on their website.