Young journalists from Brookland Middle School wrote about inaugural fashion, history, and more in last month’s issue of The Brookland Buzz.
The world’s eyes were on Washington, DC as President Biden and Vice President Harris took their oaths of office, and these Journalism Club students were no exception. 826DC encourages the students to decide for themselves what they would like to cover, and many chose to write about an aspect of that historic day or about the incoming administration.
Chidiire, the BMS Culture News Editor, went over some of the historical context for the inauguration and shared parts of President Biden’s remarks that he thought were important.
While he described the inauguration as “a fulfilling day,” Chidiire implied that he still isn’t jumping to any conclusions just yet.
“We’ll wait to see how things play out politically,” he wrote, “and if these words hold weight at the end of their tenure.”
Justin, the Sports News Editor, branched out from his usual coverage. This time, he wrote about the Divine Nine, a collective of fraternities and sororities from historically Black colleges and universities. He pointed out that both Vice President Harris and the newly-elected Senator Warnock are members of the Divine Nine! Vice President Harris is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha (Howard University), and Senator Warnock is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha (Morehouse College.)
“I liked writing this story,” he concluded, “because I got to learn about fraternities and sororities and it gave me a chance to appreciate how far we have come. Seeing black people in power shows lots of black excellence and gives us an example to what being powerful in a society made against us truly is…It made me believe that putting me down in a systemic racist society isn’t strong enough to stop people like me, and that’s what I enjoy the most about the Divine 9.”
Zasia, the Community News Editor, chose to cover the powerful fashion on display at the inauguration.
“There were beautiful statement pieces,” Zasia wrote, “and colors that held value as to why they were worn. All around the looks of the day were gorgeous and packed with a lot of meaning.”
After going over what Amanda Gorman wore, Zasia also made sure to include just how much the inaugural poet’s performance meant to her.
“It is very inspiring to see Amanda Gorman being the youngest inaugural poet and her also being a part of 826, a non-profit organization I’m also a member of.”
“This is inspiring,” she continued, “because like her, I am also an author of a published book, a writing mentor to younger BMS students, and an editor of my school’s newspaper. With her making the history she did, it leads me to believe I can achieve the same thing, maybe even more.”
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Featured photo is from Harper’s Bazaar.