The Dream Academy students at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Asbury Park New Jersey gave the students in Ghana two presentations.
Christopher Columbus
The first presentation was on Christopher Columbus and the other was the impact that European Explorers had on the world.
First, the presentation on Columbus had to deal with whether or not Columbus Day should be celebrated. The Dream Academy students pointed out that there was a heated debate about Columbus and his involvement with the indigenous people. A question remained, which was did Columbus enslave the indigenous people therefore promoted slavery or was this nothing more than false history.
Removal of many Columbus statues
In addition, the Dream Academy students informed the students in Ghana that there was a heated debate on the removal of many Columbus statues. The Dream Academy students presented both arguments for Columbus day, they should still have it and not have it.
Impact of European Explorers
After that presentation, the Dream Academy students discussed the impact that the European Explorers had on the world. For instance, they spoke about the achievements of Diaz, da Gama, Cabot, Vespucci, Cabral, Ponce de Leon, de Soto, Magellan, Cortes, Verrazano, Pizarro, Cartier, Coronado, Cabrillo, Champlain, Hudson, Marquette/Joliet, La Salle, and Lewis/Clark. Furthermore, they also mentioned how the Thirteen British Colonies evolved from the explorations of these European Explorers.
Once their presentations were complete, the students in Ghana asked multiple questions such as what were these explorers looking for to begin with and were there any artifacts, diaries, or any other proof that these explorers achieved what they said.
The Dream Academy:
Juna Weedon
Jeremy Reese
Alejandra Garcia Chavez
Hasley Clemente
Jimya Davis-Sloan
Vah’Kyla Esdaile
Enjonae Griffin
Guadalupe Hernandez-Nava
Abira Hodge
Amaya Hodge
Tiviana Kenney
Javon King
Kayla Lewis
Ariana Linares
Joseph Lopez-Barrios
Andrew Martinez
Tysion Murchison
Hailey Perez
Principal Supervisor of this event: Mr. Gerbino
