Facilities Celebrate Black History Month in February
From art to games and special meals, CCA facilities commemorated Black History Month through a variety of festivities this year.
Otter Creek Correctional Center held a different activity each week in February. For the first week, the facility hosted a black history trivia contest for each unit, with first, second and third place prizes. During the second week, inmates participated in karaoke, singing songs primarily by African-American recording artists. In the third week, the facility held its second annual coffee house, for which inmates shared poetry, articles, quotes, spiritual dance and step dance, and guest speakers – facility staff – discussed the importance of black history. For the final week, Otter Creek inmates took part in a Black History Month art contest and their artwork was displayed in the facility gym throughout the week. To wrap up the month’s festivities, the facility hosted a ‘soul food’ meal.
“We had a great deal of inmate participation during the activities,” says Greg Compton, chief of unit management and public information officer at Otter Creek. “Several staff also attended the coffee house and comments about the readings and performances were positive.”
On February 26, McRae Correctional Facility hosted a Black History Month luncheon with guest speaker Ron Day, chaplain at CCA’s Wheeler Correctional Facility. The facility also invited its community relations board to attend.
“The facility provided the meat and staff brought in the vegetables and other necessities,” says Carol Lavely, warden’s assistant, grievance officer and public information officer at McRae. "We had a great time together."
Likewise, Adams County Correctional Facility held a barbecue in the month's honor.
Other facilities, like Marion County Jail II (MCJII), observed Black History Month through academic initiatives.
“We did a learning activity with our Literacy volunteers and the inmates,” says George Hedgeman, academic instructor at MCJII. “Each student-inmate was given a crossword puzzle with clues about prominent African-American figures, and the volunteers assisted the inmates in solving the puzzles.”
Did your facility host any Black History Month events? What are some of the ways you personally observed Black History Month? Share your thoughts and reflections by sounding out.
By DeAndra Mack