By Katie Vasquez
BENSONHURST — The sounds of Motown filled St. Athanasius Catholic Academy on Friday as students performed hits like “Build Me Up Buttercup” and “Proud Mary,” capping off Black History Month with a musical tribute to industry pioneers.
The Brooklyn Catholic academy marked the occasion by teaching students about influential Black artists through song and dance.
“We felt that it was good for them to learn about them through music,” said Principal Gina Auricchio. “So they figured that Motown would be really great and interesting and engaging for them.”
The lesson helped students gain a deeper appreciation for Black history and the impact of artists who broke barriers in the music industry.
“We learned about the Jackson Five when they were in a group, and then they started singing,” said sixth-grader Aiyme Torres.
Seventh-grader Christopher DeGeorge said he learned about singer Bill Withers and the challenges Black artists faced.
“Bill Withers was a Black artist who was signed to a mostly Black artist label because due to racism during that time, most Black artists couldn’t get signed to a label because most white artists were already in the labels,” Christopher said.
Throughout the program, students showed off their dance moves and practiced choreography they had learned in class.
“I like that we get to do those cool dance moves like this one. And this one. And this singer was pretty cool. And the dance teacher taught us a lot,” said third-grader Matteo Carrillo. “I learned that Motown was a lot of action and movements.”
First-grader Carter Thomas said he practiced every night for the performance.
When asked what he liked about the song, he replied, “Because it was made by Michael Jackson.”
School leaders said the lesson extended beyond music, encouraging students to embrace and respect different backgrounds.
“Having the children learn about each other, they realize that they have more in common than they have in differences,” Auricchio said. “So learning about each other builds a bond with them and they accept each other.”