Northwest Catholic Celebrates Black History Month

West Hartford – Northwest Catholic High School welcomed Dr. Mark Naison on Feb. 25 for a special multimedia Black History Month presentation. Dr. Naison, a Professor of History and African American Studies at Fordham University, used music and videos to educate students on hip hop music's original purpose and its multi-cultural origins in the poor and forgotten neighborhoods of the Bronx in the 1970s.

"It is important to recognize where hip hop came from," said Naison. "While it was created in hardship, in areas of segregation and poverty, it was shared in joy with everyone. The young people who created it reached out to the broadest audience, crossing racial, cultural, ethnic, economical and even national lines."

The presentation struck a chord with students, encouraging them to participate in the demonstration. Several students showed off their dance moves, while another beat boxed to Naison's rapping. Other students clapped and cheered from their seats.

Naison is the author of four books and over 100 articles on African American politics, social movements and American culture and sports, and is the Principal Investigator of the Bronx African American History Project, one of the largest community-based oral history projects in the nation. During the last five years, he has presented historical "raps" in Bronx schools under the nickname of "Notorious PhD."