By Kristian Craig Staff Writer
Douglass seniors Kaleb Oates, Bruce Johnson Jr., and Micheal Zellars won the state level competition of the 2015 Kenneth E. Behring National History Day Contest on April 25 at Dewitt High School near Lansing.
Their victory is a first in Detroit Public School history of participation in this contest.
“According to my knowledge, Kaleb, Bruce and Micheal are the first ones to go to Washington D.C. on June 14 from DPS,” said Marsha Louis, a DPS instructional specialist and long-time employee. Oates said that Douglass students and staff were thrilled when they found out they had won the state finals and would be heading to the NHD National Contest in Washington, D.C., from June 14-18.
The students created a documentary on “The Leadership and Legacy of Paul Robeson.”
“We chose Paul Robeson because we wanted to remind the current generation there was once a time in which all African Americans used their status to promote civil rights and to show that our race is not dumb,” said Johnson.
Johnson said the legacy Robeson left behind was bravery, to get people to speak out against the injustice that they found everywhere, in any shape or form.
“I was absolutely ecstatic because initially they thought they lost their concept page for their documentary,” said Douglass teacher Katherine Temple. Temple said she was proud of them for the way they confidently answered all the judges’ questions.
