Alana Laforest

"Why Boston" is a short story that displays the importance of empowering and educating our black youth on their history. The main character, Cleo, is exploring the arts of Boston with her father and discovers the wonders of the MAAH. Her curiosity is sparked and she becomes fascinated with the history of abolition. Although the story itself is fictional, this is often the case with many families when visiting the museum. Black History is not prioritized nearly enough within schools and so it's up to us to do more to keep history alive. Students of color should have their history easily accessible to them. This short story was developed for this purpose—to motivate leaders, educators, and families to spread the word about the significance of black history. And additionally, even gain some insight into Boston's role in the abolitionist movement. Boston carries such rich black history. The fascinating stories of Beacon Hill deserve eager listeners and learners

"Disconnected" is a painting aiming to display the disparity in resources provided to communities of color during the COVID-19 pandemic. Virtual Learning had its inevitable disadvantages. Human beings are social creatures, so taking out the social aspect of the in-person school was going to create some challenges. However, students were all expected to perform at the same rate regardless of the systemic odds that were placed against them. The lack of support detrimentally impacted students and triggered extreme long-term spillover. Linguistically isolated students that were in need of additional language support to complete their classwork lacked the assistance they needed to be successful. Students living in crowded conditions had a difficult time focusing on schoolwork, a challenge that is exacerbated when more family members are at home. Students without access to a computer or the internet were unable to sign into online classes and complete their assignments. Or were forced to go above and beyond just to find a place with access to these things. If no adult in the household has completed a high school education, students with more advanced schoolwork may not have access to the help they need. Students with disabilities may lose access to critical support they received at school when learning at home. Students living in poverty are more likely to lack educational and other resources that support learning at home and to face stressors that make remote learning more difficult. And yet, we can't make up for lost time