Students Present AP African American Studies Projects

This year, Shorecrest introduced AP African American Studies to the Upper School curriculum, enrolling an inaugural class of 19 students in grades 10–12. The course, developed by the College Board and first piloted nationally in recent years, reflects a growing student interest in exploring African American history and culture through a rigorous, college-level lens.

Beyond the standard curriculum, a unique aspect of the class is that students are required to complete a project that is worth 10% of their final AP exam grade. To fulfill this requirement, members of Kayla Brazee’s class were free to pick any relevant topic that interested them. From there they conducted research to formulate a main argument that was supported by various sources. Many resources related back to material learned in class - such as Jim Crow laws, Redlining, The Middle Passage, the school-to-prison pipeline, and segregation - and they also presented sources that taught them new information. After working diligently on their projects for over three weeks, each student shared a 5-minute presentation and a 3-minute oral defense of their work in front of peers and faculty members. 

Ultimately, these projects aim to deepen student understanding of their topic and help them develop interdisciplinary skills. The resulting presentations were an impressive display of student scholarship at work, offering compelling demonstrations of depth of learning.

2025-2026 Projects Presented:

Sonia Anderson ‘26 - How Freedom Schools Had an Impact on Political and Civic Participation in the South

Mila Bianco ‘26 - The Effect of Emmett Till's Death on the Civil Rights Movement

Merritt Butler ‘28 - The Eugenics Movement

Natalia Davila ‘28 - What Uplifting Ideologies Are Present in Scott Joplin's 'Treemonisha' that Advocate for African American Advancement?

Decedric Dillard ‘26 - Nat Turner's Rebellion: Resistance and Justice in American Slavery

Jesse Diner ‘28 - Misconceptions about Voodoo and How They Have Affected African Americans

Tanyiah Ellison ‘28 - Locked Out of Wealth: How Housing Discrimination Helped Create the Racial Wealth Gap

Damarion Feaster ‘26 - Subordinated Black Health: How and Why

Cate Frey ‘28 - Segregation and the Self-Esteem of Black Children

Keira Grebow ‘28 - Reach for the Stars: Mae Jemison's Inspiring Story

Emmie Harris ‘26 - The School to Prison Pipeline

Donyae Hazley ‘27 - The Connection Between Redlining and the Wealth and Public Health of African American Communities

Kaori Jackson ‘26 - Systemic Racism Stunting the Growth of Formerly Incarcerated Black Individuals

Olivia Manfrey ‘28 - Police Brutality and Systemic Racism: Their Impact on Tupac Shakur and His Music

Harper Nelson-Wooley ‘27 - African American Influence on Queer Culture

Kurt Schratwieser ‘28 - The Black Swallow of Death: Eugene Bullard, Why He Moved to France and How He Influenced Parisian Culture

Caitlin Smith ‘27 - The Great Migration: Impacts and Effects

Shanya Watson ‘26 - An Analysis of the 'War on Drugs' and Its Effects on the Black Community from the 1980s to Today

Caleb Williams ‘26 - The Roots of the Four Elements of Hip Hop in West African Tradition