Welcome to the 4th Annual �JVF Black History Month Gallery Walk!
Celebrating local trailblazers from �Beacon, Dutchess County, and New York State
Pick up a map and tour the school!�See students’ learning on display and �meet our special guests!
Meet Local Trailblazer�John Galloway, Jr.!
Born and raised in Beacon, NY, in 2021 John became the youngest African American to be appointed to and serve on the BCSD Board of Education.
He graduated from JVF and then from Beacon High School in 2015.
John is involved in a number of local organizations, including Next Steps Hudson Valley and Melanin Unchained, and is in the process of creating his own LLC centered around self-love and mental health called Make It Through Today.
He loves food, basketball, movies, and TV shows, and dreams of becoming the best actor ever and inspiring the world doing it. John is also in the process of writing his own screenplay!
Meet Local Trailblazer�Justice McCray!
Born and raised in Beacon, Justice McCray is an activist and abolitionist dedicated to creating an equitable and anti-racist culture and community.
Justice’s work in public service began in 2013 at the Howland Public Library. �They found joy in helping others, and soon thereafter became a volunteer at the Beacon Visitors Welcome Center, and found themselves simultaneously employed at several small businesses across Beacon.
Justice graduated from Beacon High School in 2014 and joined the Beacon Human Rights Commission in 2015 as an intern, becoming an official commissioner in 2016. At the time, Justice also served as the Youth President of the Southern Dutchess branch of the NAACP.
In 2020 they co-founded Beacon4BlackLives, leading social justice protests, and the Community Fridge Project at Binnacle Books, expanding access to food for those in need. Now they serve as an elected official on Beacon's City Council and continue their librarianship at the Desmond-Fish Public Library in Garrison, NY.
Meet Justice in the Library for a fun signmaking activity!
Meet Local Trailblazer�Larry Collins!
Larry is a former BCSD teacher, Collegiate All-American Swimmer, local club and high school swim coach, working to change the stereotype for people of color in the sport of swim.
During the 2021 swim season, when Dutchess County colleges sealed their campuses and closed their pools, Coach Collins spearheaded a project to share Beacon’s pool among the local school districts.
Through his extraordinary efforts, the Beacon pool became a haven for dozens of high school swimmers searching for a sense of normalcy in this completely unpredictable year. Thanks to Coach Collins, swimmers from OLL, Arlington, Ketcham, and John Jay got to experience swim season 2021 complete with the opportunity to train and compete in swim meets!
Meet Coach Collins at Room 16 where Ms. Gall’s 2nd grade class learned about his achievements!
Meet Local Trailblazer�Crystal Sessoms-Wiggins!
Principal Wiggins is an NYC native from Long Island City, Queensbridge, NY. She earned a B.S. in Childhood & Special Education and M.Ed. in Literacy at Roberts Wesleyan College, and her CAGS in Educational Leadership from the University of New England.
She has been focused on her dream of working with children since her own childhood. Despite adversities, and growing up in a neighborhood stricken with poverty and limited resources, she led a resilient life, thanks to her mother’s guidance and support.
Principal Wiggins has lived a life of public service. She is the Founder of SistorLink Inc., a non-profit focused on mentorship and leadership development of young women of color, specifically, pre-teen to college-bound age girls living in or going to school in underserved communities. She is an active participant in community projects with her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. In 2017, she was named one of Tompkins County Youth Services Department’s 40 Caring Adults.
She is a wife, mom of two boys, and has made the Hudson Valley her home — she aspires to one day enter district level leadership and looks forward to the journey ahead while making a lasting positive impact in the lives of all those she serves!
Meet Principal Wiggins at Room K1 where Mrs. Losito’s kindergarten class learned about her achievements!
Crystal Sessoms-Wiggins is the youngest-ever principal to lead JV Forrestal Elementary School, beginning her principalship at 29 years of age!
Keep up with her on Twitter @MsSessoms
Celebrate Trailblazer�Kareem Abdul-Jabbar!
NYC native and Hall of Fame basketball center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the NBA's all-time leading scorer. He won six NBA titles, five with the Los Angeles Lakers, over 20 years. He is the league’s only 6x MVP!
He started playing basketball at an early age. At Power Memorial Academy, he set NYC school records in scoring and rebounds. In 2000 the National Sports Writers dubbed his team "The #1 High School Team of the Century."
Kareem enrolled at UCLA, becoming the college game's best player. Under legendary coach John Wooden, Alcindor led the Bruins to three national championships from 1967 to 1969 and was named the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player for those years.
In the NBA, he led the Milwaukee Bucks to their first championship win in 1971, before winning five more titles with the LA Lakers! He was named league MVP 6 times!
Learn about Kareem at Room 20 where Ms. Fisher’s �5th grade class learned about his achievements!
Celebrate Trailblazer�Jay-Z / Shawn Carter!
Brooklyn native Jay-Z is an entertainer and business mogul, Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee and 23-time Grammy winner!
Born Shawn Carter, Jay-Z is an American rapper, songwriter and producer who grew up in Brooklyn's Marcy Projects. He used rap as an escape, appearing for the first time on Yo! MTV Raps in 1989. After co-founding Roc-A-Fella Records with friends Damon Dash and Kareem Burke, he sold millions of records.
In 2017, he became the first rapper to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2019, Forbes named Jay-Z the first billionaire rap artist, thanks to his many successful business ventures. He has been president of Def Jam Recordings, founder of Roc Nation and Tidal streaming service, creator of the Rocawear clothing line, and part-owner of the New Jersey Nets.
Learn about Jay-Z at Room 19 where Ms. Ebeling’s �5th grade class learned about his achievements!
Celebrate Trailblazer�Sojourner Truth!
Born into slavery in Ulster County, Sojourner became an abolitionist, women's rights activist, and author!
Sojourner Truth was an African American evangelist, abolitionist, women’s rights activist and author who was born into slavery before escaping to freedom in 1826. After gaining her freedom, Truth preached about abolitionism and equal rights for all.
She became known for a speech with the famous refrain, "Ain't I a Woman?" that she was said to have delivered at a women's convention in Ohio in 1851. Truth continued her crusade throughout her adult life, earning an audience with President Abraham Lincoln and becoming one of the world’s best-known human rights crusaders.
Learn about Sojourner at Room 17 where Ms. Reilly’s �2nd grade class learned about her achievements!
Celebrate Trailblazer�Scott Joplin!
Known as the "King of Ragtime," Scott Joplin was the foremost composer of the genre in the early 20th century, known for piano works like "The Maple Leaf Rag" and "The Entertainer”!
Born around 1868, Scott grew up in Texarkana, on the border between Texas and Arkansas. He learned how to play the guitar at a young age and later took to the piano, displaying a gift for the instrument. He was also a vocalist and would play the cornet as well.
Scott worked as a traveling musician, playing in bars and dance halls where he employed distinct, syncopated rhythms and a fusion of musical sensibilities. In 1893 he fronted a band in Chicago during the World Fair.
His composition “Maple Leaf Rag” went on to become the biggest ragtime song ever, eventually selling more than a million copies!
Learn about Scott in the Music room where �Mrs. Federico’s students learned about his achievements!
Celebrate Trailblazer�Elijah Hughes!
Raised in Beacon, Elijah Hughes is currently an NBA player who also started a program to give back to his local community!
Elijah was born in Poughkeepsie and grew up in Beacon. He started playing basketball through the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) and began playing on the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) circuit for local coach, Kenney Dawson. Hughes became well-known in Beacon for his basketball ability, dominating games at Loopers Park.
He went on to play college basketball for the East Carolina Pirates and the Syracuse Orange. In 2020 he signed with the NBA’s Utah Jazz, and now plays for the Portland Trail Blazers.
Learn about Elijah in Room 13 where Mrs. Sapeta’s �ENL class learned about his achievements!
Celebrate Trailblazer�Eddie Murphy
Award-winning actor, comedian, writer, producer, and singer!
Born in Brooklyn, Eddie Murphy began doing stand-up comedy as a teenager and later joined the cast of Saturday Night Live. He became SNL’s strongest comedic presence in the 1980s, creating many memorable characters.
At age 21, Eddie co-starred with Nick Nolte in 48 Hours, and he went on to further box-office success with Trading Places, Beverly Hills Cop, Coming to America, The Nutty Professor, and Shrek. He continues to star in many movies, including comedies, dramas and family films.
In 2015, Eddie received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
Learn about Eddie in Room 12 where Ms. Duffy’s �4th grade class learned about his achievements!
Celebrate Trailblazers�Betye Saar, Tyree Guyton, and Clementine Hunter!
Meet these accomplished visual artists:
Betye Irene Saar is an African American artist known for her work in the medium of assemblage. Saar is a visual storyteller and an accomplished printmaker. Saar was a part of the Black Arts Movement in the 1970s, which engaged myths and stereotypes about race and femininity.
Tyree Guyton is an American Neo-Expressionist artist who is a proponent of Graffiti art and Urban Environmental art. He has waged a personal war on urban blight on Detroit's East Side, transforming his childhood neighborhood into a living indoor/outdoor art museum and spurring discussion and action.
Clementine Hunter earned critical acclaim for thousands of vibrant paintings. Entirely self-taught and immensely prolific, she labored her entire life on plantations in central Louisiana, and began painting only in her late 50s. Most of her paintings chronicle her memories and experience of plantation life: harvests, baptisms, and funerals.
Learn about Betye, Tyree, and Clementine in Room 11 where Ms. Pezzo’s art students learned about their achievements!
Celebrate Trailblazer�John Hasbrouck!
Born to an enslaved woman in 1806 and, later, was the first African American eligible to vote in New Paltz!
John Hasbrouck was born to an enslaved woman in New Paltz in 1806 and, later, as a freeman, was able to purchase land in the town. He is commonly believed to be the first African American eligible to vote in New Paltz! He kept detailed account books of his life which still exist today, maintained by Historic Huguenot Street.
Learn about John in Room 10 where Mrs. Tompkins’s�4th grade class learned about his achievements!
Celebrate Trailblazer�Shirley Chisholm!
First woman and African American to run for president
Born in Brooklyn, Shirley Chisholm was the first African American woman elected to Congress (1968) and the first woman and African American to seek the nomination for president of the United States from one of the two major political parties (1972). Her motto and title of her autobiography — Unbought and Unbossed — illustrates her outspoken advocacy for women and minorities during her seven terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Learn about Shirley in Room 9 where Mrs. Ciotoli’s�3rd grade class learned about her achievements!
Celebrate Trailblazer�Aesha Ash!
Ballet dancer and the first Black female member of the School of American Ballet's permanent faculty!
Rochester native Aesha Ash started ballet, tap and jazz at age 5, and would go on to become a prominent ballet dancer and teacher. She danced numerous leading roles with as a member of New York City Ballet's corps de ballet and as a soloist with Béjart Ballet and Alonzo King LINES Ballet, and Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company.
Following her retirement from performing, she founded The Swan Dreams Project in 2011 to dispel stereotypes about Black women in ballet. In 2020, she became the first African American female faculty member at the School of American Ballet.
Learn about Aesha in Room 8 where Mrs. Regg’s�3rd grade class learned about her achievements!
Celebrate Trailblazer�Marie M. Daly!
First African American to receive a PhD in Chemistry!
Born in Queens, Marie M. Daly was an American biochemist. She was raised in an education-oriented family, and Daly quickly received her B.S. and M.S. in chemistry at Queens College and New York University, respectively.
After completing her Ph.D. at Columbia University — and becoming the first African American woman to obtain a Ph.D. in chemistry in the United States — Daly taught and conducted research. Daly's groundbreaking work helped clarify how the human body works.
Learn about Marie in Room 6A where Ms. Penzetta’s�Pre-K class learned about her achievements!
Celebrate Trailblazer�Jane Bolin!
The first African American female judge in the United States (she is pictured in every BCSD school building)!
Born in Poughkeepsie, Jane was born into a trailblazing family. Her father, Gaius Bolin, was an attorney who headed the Dutchess County Bar Association and cared for the family after his wife's illness and death.
Jane was a superb student who graduated from high school in her mid-teens and went on to enroll at Wellesley College. She was officially recognized as one of the top students of her class. Jane was the first African American woman to graduate from Yale Law School in 1931.
After relocating to New York City, she was sworn in by Mayor Fiorello La Guardia as the first African American female judge in the U.S. She served on the Family Court bench for four decades, advocating for children and families via outside institutions as well.
Learn about Jane in Room 5 where Mrs. Ford’s�MAPSC 3-5 class learned about her achievements!
Celebrate Trailblazer�Alicia Keys!
Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and actress, who was signed at 15 years old by Columbia Records!
Born in New York City in 1981, Alicia Keys began piano lessons at age 7. A classically trained pianist, Keys began composing songs by age 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Columbia Records. She later signed with Arista Records and J Records, with Clive Davis.
Alicia has sold over 90 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. She was named by Billboard the top R&B artist of the 2000s decade. VH1 included her on their 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and 100 Greatest Women in Music lists, while Time has named her in their 100 list of most influential people in 2005 and 2017.
Keys is also acclaimed for her humanitarian work, philanthropy and activism, e.g. being awarded Ambassador of Conscience by Amnesty International. She co-founded and serves as the Global Ambassador of the nonprofit HIV/AIDS-fighting organization Keep a Child Alive.
Learn about Alicia in Room 4 where Mrs. Dinkins’s MAPSB K-2 class learned about her achievements!
Celebrate Trailblazer�Gaius Bolin!
A trailblazer of many firsts, and father to trailblazer Jane Bolin!
Gaius was one of thirteen children born to a farmer and merchant and his wife. He went on to become the first Black graduate of Williams College, the first Black lawyer in the County, first Black graduate of Williams College, and the first Black president of the Dutchess County Bar Association!
After graduating from Williams, Gaius worked in his father’s store and then read law for two years in the office of a local, white attorney. He was admitted to the New York bar in 1892 and, after a few more years with the attorney, opened his own practice in his overwhelmingly white hometown, joining Poughkeepsie’s tiny African American professional class.
Learn about Gaius in Room 3 where Ms. Grant’s �1st grade class learned about his achievements!
Celebrate Trailblazer�Patricia Bath!
First African American opthalmologist, who co-founded the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness
Patricia E. Bath, an ophthalmologist and laser scientist, was an innovative research scientist and advocate for blindness prevention, treatment, and cure.
Her accomplishments include the invention of a new device and technique for cataract surgery known as laserphaco, the creation of a new discipline known as "community ophthalmology," and appointment as the first woman chair of ophthalmology in the United States, at Drew-UCLA in 1983.
Bath's work and interests, however, always went beyond the confines of a university. In 1977, she and three colleagues founded the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness, an organization whose mission is to protect, preserve, and restore the gift of sight. The AIPB is based on the principle that eyesight is a basic human right and that primary eye care must be made available to all people, everywhere, regardless of their economic status.
Learn about Patricia in Room 2 where Mrs. Joyce’s�1st grade class learned about her achievements!
Celebrate Trailblazer�Keechant Sewell!
First female African American NYC police commissioner!
Born in Long Island City, Queens, Keechant Sewell became a police officer assigned to Nassau County Police Department's Fifth Precinct in 1997. Sewell was eventually promoted through the ranks to become commanding officer of the major case squad.
In 2008 Sewell had attended the FBI National Academy and other assignments included the Professional Standards Bureau, Internal Affairs, and training with the FBI to be the county's chief hostage negotiator.
On September 24, 2020, Sewell was promoted to NCPD's chief of detectives, commanding a staff of approximately 350 officers. Sewell was also member of the New York–New Jersey Joint-Terrorism Task Force.
On December 14, 2021, it was announced that Sewell would be appointed as the 45th New York City police commissioner by Mayor-Elect Eric Adams.
Learn about Keechant in Room 1 where Mrs. Keogh’s�1st grade class learned about her achievements!
Celebrate Trailblazer�Colin Powell!
Politician, statesman, diplomat, United States Army officer, and first African American U.S. Secretary of State!
Colin Luther Powell was a United States statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army. He was the 65th United States Secretary of State (2001-2005), serving under President George W. Bush. He was the first African American appointed to that position. He was the first, and so far the only, African American to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Born in 1937, in Harlem, Colin was the son of Jamaican immigrants Luther and Maud Powell. He was raised in the South Bronx and educated in New York City public schools. It was at City College of New York, where Powell studied geology, that he found his calling — in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC). He soon became commander of his unit. This experience set him on a military career and gave him structure and direction in his life.
Learn about Colin in Room K2 where Mrs. Shuk’s �kindergarten class learned about his achievements!