Walking into the Huntley High School commons, there is a bustle of people eager for this month’s RAD event.
The sounds of African instruments provide lively music and an educational opportunity. The shutter of the photo booth with silly props excites guests. The fresh smell of food from Tangie’s Kitchen fills the air as people are greeted with colorful decorations and a list of activities.
On Feb. 9, RAD hosted a celebration of Black Americans.
Each month D158’s RAD, or Recognizing American Diversity, hosts an event celebrating a different diverse group of people. This month’s event is in honor of Black History Month.
One of the booths, TCreativ Designs, had beautiful handmade earrings, necklaces, coasters, keychains, and hair accessories.
“[RAD] is a great opportunity for the community to interact, and [this] is a great event,” Tola Makinde, owner of TCreativ Designs, said.
TCreativ Designs sold handmade products alongside other Black-owned local businesses like Irie Tea, Victoria’s Sweets & Eats, and Blooming Boredom.
Student representatives of RAD and the Black Student Union ran colorful booths with coloring activities for kids.
“RAD brings the student body together because everybody comes to the events,” Black Student Union member Dominique Johnson said. “Even though this is the Black History Month event, everybody’s here.”
On the stage decorated with gold glitter and red, black, green, and yellow balloons, there is a myriad of performances. The HHS Jazz Band and Poet Laureate Chasity Gunn provided dazzling entertainment.
RAD’s event celebrating Black Americans was entertaining and educational as people learned about African American culture.
“The hope is that people can learn about a lot of different things,” RAD Coordinator Tara Wills said. “People feel like this is their home as people are interested in learning about their culture, and [we] make people feel like they are part of the community.”
