The Sulphur community came together on Monday night to celebrate the second annual Black History Month program.

The SHS African American Student Caucus hosts the event. The inaugural theme was “Life Every Voice,” where they celebrated Black history through music. This year they opted to foster local cultural awareness and honored African American community leaders with the theme “Journey to Greatness.”

The program highlighted the contributions of Southwest Louisiana’s Black leaders, memorializing trailblazers who exhibited different forms of “greatness.” Mary McLeod Bethune was spotlighted as an individual who exhibited “Greatness in Equality.” Shirley Chisholm was honored for “Greatness in Politics,” Mae Jemison for “Greatness in Space,” Garrett A. Morgan for “Greatness in Innovation,” A. Phillip Randolph for “Greatness in Advocacy,” and Maggie Lena Walker for “Greatness in Finance.”

Other leaders including Sheriff Gary “Stitch” Guillory and Sulphur City Councilmember Melinda Hardy were honored.

During the opening, SHS 9th Grade Campus Principal Katherine Clophus said that the program is an opportunity to credit the individuals who were “beacons of light for all of us who follow behind.” Since Black history is American history, it is vital to acknowledge the legacies of local African Americans who made waves and the far-reaching impact of Black culture.

“The influence is found in what we eat, what we wear, the music we listen to and how we dance to it. It’s the innovation that allowed for the first successful open heart surgery in the U.S. and the math brilliance that helped put a man on the moon,” she said. “It is the colloquialisms and the slang that pepper our everyday conversations and the rhythm by which we live life. It should be remembered, preserved, honored and celebrated.”

The celebrations were supported by performances by the SHS Swing Choir, SWLA United Worshippers, Golden Tor Color Guard, SHS Royals and SHS Twisters.