Alachua County teachers recognized for efforts teaching African American history

Dr. Jacob Gordon Chair, Professor Emeritus, University of Kansas and chair of the Alachua County African American History Task Force announced during a virtual awards ceremony on Sept. 16th the names of Alachua County teachers who have stepped up to engage students in learning about African American studies.

Gordon said those educators recognized are, “On the right side of history.”

The recipients are as follows:

• Tara Gabriel of Santa Fe High School for teaching African linguistics and Africa and African-American History.
• Nicole Harris from Gainesville High School who organized an African American History Fair which 600 people attended.
• Jemeshia Lyons from Eastside High School who was the first teacher to offer a course in African American History in Alachua County in 2017.
• Jordan Marlowe who is Mayor of Newberry and teaches history at Newberry High School participated in erecting a national monument in honor of African American residents lynched in Newberry in 1916.
• Jessica Morey of Buchholz High School taught a new African American course in 2019.
• Christopher Pearl from Professional Academies Magnet at Loften High School engaged student in his African American studies course.
• Annette Verschaeve from Hawthorne High School supervises both middle and high school curriculum and teaches African American studies.
• Amos Watts from A. Quinn Jones Center is a musician and key historian who brings lessons to classrooms.