MULLENS, WV (WOAY)- Instead of a normal research project, the students at Mullens Middle School held a unique event to showcase black history. They held a Black History Living Wax Museum, where the students were “wax statues” of significant people in black history.
“All the students pick someone in black history that have contributed to society and made our society the way it is,” explained Nina Tunstalle, Principal at Mullens Middle School. “So they’ve picked someone that either inspired them or someone that’s in their realm of interest, and they researched them. They put together a board, and so now they’re frozen in time. As parents and community members come around, they [the students] will explain why they’re significant in history.
There was a wide variety of people that visitors could meet and learn about.
“From athletes, musicians, activists, and civil rights leaders,” said Tunstalle. “One of the things that’s most special to me about this year is that I have a student who is me. I am the first black female principal in Wyoming County since segregation. So she thought, well, you’ve made history. So she thought it was cool to portray me.”
Many of the students enjoyed putting this project together and learning about these influential people.
“It was honestly just a great experience to get to know how hard everybody had to work and just like showed they’ve done it everything. And I think that they’ve all had huge impacts on the world that we have today,” said Peyton Bennett, a student who portrayed Catherine Johnson.
“Yeah, I feel like the same thing. It just shows that you can do anything that you want, and even if you put your mind to it, you can,” said Payton Boothe, a student who portrayed Dorothy Vaughan.
