Youths make black icons come to life in Elgin

Like most 12-year-olds, Ashley Oliver learned in school about Rosa Parks, Malcom X and Martin Luther King Jr.

However, she had no idea about black pioneers such as aviator Bessie Coleman and former U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders until she participated in a church initiative aimed at teaching black kids about great role models.

That's why she loves taking part in the annual "Sankofa Wax Museum of African-American History," set for Saturday at Second Baptist Church in Elgin, she said.

"I think that it's important to learn about it," Ashley said. "I get to show (people) things that they don't know about."

The "waxes" are youths who dress in costume as black icons, display their research exhibit-style, and stand still until people press a button - their cue to give a 30-second speech about their characters.

Ashley will portray Elders, the first black person and second woman to be appointed to the top health post in 1993.

"I want to be an anesthesiologist, so I said, 'This is pretty close,'" she said. "And I thought it was pretty cool that she was a black woman that could do something really great."

"Sankofa" is a tribal word from Ghana that roughly means "to go back and get it." In this case, it's used in the context of reclaiming one's past.

The theme this year is "STEM," or science, technology, math and engineering. Twenty-two youths, from kindergartners to seniors in high school, will portray people including botanist George Washington Carver, animator and director Frank C. Braxton Jr., astronaut Jeanette Epps, veterinary medicine professor Alfreda Johnson Webb and inventor Lydia O. Newman.

And of course, Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughan, three black women who worked at NASA's Langley Research Center and are portrayed in the Oscar-nominated movie "Hidden Figures."

All too often, black historical role models aren't talked about enough in popular culture and even in classrooms, said Jackie Pauley, youth ministry director at Second Baptist. Pauley has school-age children, so she speaks from personal experience, she said.

"If the teacher is not equipped or well-versed to speak on certain things, I won't hold them responsible for that. That's when it comes back to us," she said. "It's our responsibility to teach them and raise awareness."

Ten-year-old Jaiden Wiggs of South Elgin said he came up with the idea to portray Charles Richard Drew, a physician who developed the first "blood banks" in early World War II, after his grandfather recently received a blood transfusion. Two years ago, Jaiden participated as Martin Luther King Jr.

So it is cooler to portray icons who are not well known? "Yes," Jaiden said. "It's very fun to share the information that you took so long learning."

The free event is 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the church at 1280 Summit St. There will be live entertainment, including singing, poetry, and youth dancers from Bethesda Church of God in Christ.