“Suit & Tie” in the 217 by Champaign Central students goes viral

In case you missed it, you should check out this version of Justin Timberlake’s “Suit & Tie” by a group of students out of Champaign Centennial. You can watch/read about the whole thing below, called “A Counter-Narrative on Black Male Students”, and it was featured on MTV as well.

 

A Counter-Narrative on Black Male Students: At Central High School’s Black History Month Celebration, the Central and Centennial High School African-American Clubs released a joint video countering the negative images of young African-American males in the media. The students affirmed the following in a video highlighting the successes of young black males within the District:
• We are not gangsters and thugs.
• We are employees and volunteers.
• We are scholars.
• We are athletes.
“The negative stories told daily in the media and in our culture about our young African-American men tend to ignore their successes and don’t tell the full story about how young Black men are becoming leaders within our community schools,” said Central School Social Worker and African-American Club Sponsors Tiffany Gholson and Barbara Cook, who worked with the students on this effort. “In this video, our students reclaim the narrative of who they are and inspire other students to follow in their footsteps.” In our assembly, we addressed the State of the Youth and highlighted what Black students have overcome from a historical perspective. The assembly also highlighted how overcoming those obstacles has helped make America stronger and urged students of all backgrounds to carry the torch for future generations.
*Video Production by Sam Ambler of Ambler Video
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*Champaign Central High School & Centennial High School African-American Clubs
*Inspired by the men of Alpha Phi Alpha–Tau Chapter

Patrick Singer

Executive Editor