One of our 3rd grade teachers puts on a play every year for Black History Month. This year she had decided not to do one, but her friend and choreographer is retiring from our school this year. So they decided to do a huge blowout show, a little later in the year than she would normally do. But what a show!

The play was The Wizard of Oz, but with figures from black history woven in. So instead of a tornado, Dorothy falls asleep studying for a social studies test on black history and wakes up in Oz. As she meets the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion, she also learns about figures throughout American black history that represent the traits of brains (Mae Jemison), heart (Aretha Franklin), and courage (Rosa Parks, Bessie Coleman). It was so fantastic, the costumes were way better than anything I remember from elementary school plays, and the set was spectacular. And those kids did such a good job!

As they “followed the yellow brick road,” Dorothy and co. danced to “Ease on Down the Road” from The Wiz.

This sassy little girl was our Aretha Franklin, lip syncing and dancing to “Think.” She was probably my favorite, I mean she Worked. That. Stage.

Our Sammie Davis, Jr. lip syncing “I Gotta Be Me.” He was so great!

Dorothy and Glenda the Good Witch dancing it out with the Lollipop Guild, Mae Jemison in orange on the right, Maya Angelou in white on the far left, Sammie, and everyone else.

This was such a great show, they were really phenomenal. It was the best school play I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been in enough of them over the years to know that’s a big deal.