A team from Franklin Middle School

Black Saga Competition

Elementary School Winners: 1st - Battle Grove Team 1 2nd - Cedarmere Team 1 3rd – Powhatan Team 1 4th – (tie) Deep Creek Team-1 and Cromwell Valley Team 2 6th – (tie)Powhatan Team-2 and Edmondson Heights Team 1 8th – Milbrook Team 2 9th – Milbrook Team 1 10th – Church Lane Team 3 Middle School Winners: 1st – Loch Raven Academy Team 1 2nd – Franklin Team 1 3rd – Loch Raven Academy Team 3 4th – Old Court Team 3 5th – (tie) Southwest Academy Team 2 and Loch Raven Academy Team 2 7th – Old Court Team 1 8th – Southwest Academy Team 3 9th – Deer Park Team 1

Black Saga Poster Contest

Elementary School Winners 1st – Owings Mills 2nd – Milbrook 3rd – Powhatan Middle School Winners 1st – Sparrows Point 2nd – Meadowood Education Center 3rd – Woodlawn

Before an auditorium filled with almost 300 students and over 500 friends and family members, Barbara Yingling, elementary social studies coordinator, teased the crowd. “I wonder what time it is,” she coyly said.

The walls reverberated with the audience’s answer. “It’s Black Saga Time,” the students yelled back, and so began the Baltimore County Black Saga Competition. Black Saga challenges teams of students throughout Maryland to answer questions about African American history and culture. At the Baltimore County competition, held January 8, 2005, the top three teams from each of 21 elementary schools and 9 middle schools faced off at Randallstown High School.

The winning team from Battle Grove Elementary poses with Superintendent Joe Hairston, Battle Grove’s Black Saga Coordinators Mary Lee Twilley and Colleen M. Dulaj, Black Saga Founder Dr. Charles Christian, and Principal Laurie Jones.

After preliminary rounds held in individual classrooms, the entire assembly reconvened in the auditorium for the finals. The questions – such as identifying photographs of prominent African American women, identifying the states where key events took place, and naming African American publications based on their publishers – challenged all the participants.

In the end, Battle Grove emerged as the winning elementary school, and Loch Raven Academy took the prize as the top middle school. The top two teams from each school will advance to the Maryland State Black Saga Competition, to be held on March 19 at University of Maryland College Park. Last year, Baltimore County fielded more teams than any other school district in Maryland.

Black Saga participants from Franklin Middle School

New to the competition this year was a poster display and contest. Each participating school presented a display board on the theme of “community.” Ribbons were awarded to the top three displays in the elementary and middle school divisions.

Baltimore County Schools Superintendent Dr. Joe A. Hairston joined Dr. Charles Christian, Black Saga founder and finals moderator, in awarding prizes. Also on hand were the community volunteers who served as event judges. They included:

• Dr. Eugenia Proulx, President, The Community College of Baltimore County/Essex and Dundalk campuses
• Adrienne Jones, Executive Director, Office of Fair Practices and Community Affairs, Delegate, 10th Legislative District; and Founder, African American Cultural Festival
• Kenneth N. Oliver, Councilman, 4th District
• Tori Leonard, Baltimore County Commission for Women
• Vernon Simms, Chief of Staff, Office of Congressman Elijah Cummings
• Lenwood Johnson, Community Liaison/Outreach, Baltimore County Office of Planning, Forty Historic African American Communities
• Richard Lee, Minority Business Enterprise Office for Baltimore County
• Jackie Wilson, Office of Fair Practices and Community Affairs
• Robin Jacobs, Vice President, Baltimore County African American Cultural Association

Beyond the academic component of the program, Black Saga coordinators at the schools praise the program for its impact on students’ personal growth. “It is a joy to see how the students on my team are growing and maturing as a result of their experience with Black Saga,” writes Dr. James Snow, a 7th grade English teacher at Middle River Middle School. “Of course, the intellectual piece is important for all the reasons Dr. Christian articulates so clearly. But the students I am working with are growing in so many ways, and I think it is largely due to the opportunity given them by the Black Saga competition.”

Brenda Payne of Woodmoor Elementary sent a note to all coordinators praising the student participants. She wrote, “Although my team did not do well, I was so impressed with all the students. I wish to compliment everyone on their behavior, enthusiasm, and most of all, good attitudes. ...Those who did not do well held their heads high, and those who did were very gracious and a good example for the rest of us.”

Story by Diana Spencer, Communications Officer Photographs by LuAnn Davis, Secretary, Elementary Social Studies Office, and Monique Yates, Black Saga Co-coordinator and Special Educator, Franklin Middle School