Kwanzaa comes once a year, but at Falk Elementary School it’s a part of the lesson plan almost every day.
On Friday, the last day of school before the holidays, students in first, second and third grade came together for a weekly morning routine called Harambee, which in Swahili means “all pull together.”
They form a circle as they dance, clap and chant in unison to a song about freedom. When the music ends, the children chatter with fresh energy for a moment, until teacher Kira Fobbs walks slowly to the center, demanding silence with her stare.
“I am somebody,” she calls out.
“I am somebody!” the students respond.