Nearly a century after its founding, Booker T. Washington Senior High School is marking Black History Month through the work of its students — canvases layered with gold, clay shaped by hand, portraits drawn from memory and migration.
“This exhibit lifts up the powerful legacy of our school, the first high school for Black students in South Florida, opened in 1927 after its construction was bombed the year prior by those who opposed Black education,” said Principal Anthony E. Simons III. “Yet our community pushed forward, and families traveled from as far as Palm Beach, Pompano, Immokalee, and the Keys to study here.”
“By showcasing our students’ work, we’re honoring nearly a century of resilience, pride, and academic excellence,” he said. “And now, as an A-rated school for the first time, we’re continuing the legacy… At the Historic Booker T. Washington, we may not be the largest, but we are definitely the best.”
Parents walk through the exhibit featuring student artwork.
(Courtesy of Booker T. Washington Senior High School)
A canvas of identity and voice
The exhibit was filled with vibrant color, symbolism and reflections of heritage.
Art teacher and family members of students at the school’s art exhibit.
(Courtesy of Booker T. Washington Senior High School)
Keyllin Lara, a senior who identifies as Afro-Latina, created a painting inspired by Oshun, a Yoruba goddess associated with rivers, beauty and strength.
“She is powerful. Her color is yellow, like gold,” Lara explained.
Keyllin Lara, an Afro-Latina student, with her artwork at Booker T. Washington Senior High School’s Black History Month exhibit in Miami.
(Ivette Franco for The Miami Times)
Her piece features hands offering a sunflower, a symbol of hope.
A student shares the meaning behind their artwork at Booker T. Washington.
(Courtesy of Booker T. Washington Senior High School)
“It’s like she’s giving you reassurance that everything will be okay,” Lara said. “The sunflower represents the sun that lights your path.”
For Lara, art is personal. “It’s my place of peace,” she said. “I put on my music, I’m alone with my canvas. I disconnect.”
Keyllin Lara’s painting of Oshun is displayed during the school’s Black History Month exhibit.
(Ivette Franco for The Miami Times)
Through this exhibition, she also found connection to her Afro-Caribbean roots and to a broader understanding of identity.
Student paintings reflecting Black history and culture on view at the exhibit.
(Courtesy of Booker T. Washington Senior High School)
“Even if you’re Latino or Asian, we all share history that connects back,” she said. “Art helps you express that.”
She plans to study architecture, crediting her art teacher for introducing her to AutoCAD and model-building.
Nearby, senior Sofía Mora only recently discovered ceramics but quickly embraced it.
One of her pieces, set against a sunset of yellow, red and orange hues, reflects Afro-inspired symbolism and emotional release.
“I love working with my hands,” she said. “In sculpture, you can express anything you have in mind.”
“When you’re working with clay, you express your feelings,” she said. “It relaxes you.”
Makayla McLeroy, a student whose background blends Haitian and Black American heritage, said the exhibit challenges narrow perceptions of Black identity.
“It’s not just one color or one country,” she said. “There are Caribbean cultures, Afro-Latino cultures, African American cultures. It’s more than one stereotype.”
Many stories, one legacy
Art teacher Raydeivis Soguero-Gonzalez said the exhibition serves as both cultural study and emotional outlet.
“It helps students remember where we come from,” he said. “Our roots are rich — in religion, customs, food, language, everything.”
Roughly 60 to 70 students participated in the month-long process, moving from sketch to finished piece in just weeks. For many, blending colors and translating ideas onto canvas proved challenging.
“The message is that we are one,” said Soguero-Gonzalez.
Principal Anthony E. Simons III and the art teacher stand with students during the exhibit.
(Ivette Franco for The Miami Times)
He said the exercise also helps students learn about history and anthropology.
Referencing the school’s nearly century-long history, Simons said the exhibit allows students to see themselves within that tradition.
“Many of the pieces portray people from the African diaspora — some rooted in themes of liberation, others in hope and faith,” he said. “Our students placed their inner thoughts on canvas, allowing their artwork to connect their lived experiences with the same legacy of strength and creativity.”
He added that art provides students with something essential.
“In times like these, students need safe ways to express themselves. Our arts programs give them that freedom,” the principal said.
“Black history is lived here every day.”
Close
Makayla McLeroy, a Booker T. Washington student, speaks about Black identity at the school’s Black History Month exhibit.
Ceramic sculpture by senior Sofía Mora on display at the exhibit.
Makayla McLeroy, a Booker T. Washington student, speaks about Black identity at the school’s Black History Month exhibit.
Ceramic sculpture by senior Sofía Mora on display at the exhibit.