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Harrisburg schools mark William Howard Day bicentennial with PSBA proclamation, district video and community events
Summary
At its Oct. 14 committee meeting, the Harrisburg School District received a Pennsylvania School Boards Association proclamation honoring the 200th birthday of educator and abolitionist William Howard Day; the district showed a commemorative video and announced an Oct. 16 observance and fundraising to maintain a Capitol-area monument.
The Harrisburg School District recognized the bicentennial of educator and abolitionist William Howard Day during its Oct. 14 committee of the whole meeting, where the Pennsylvania School Boards Association presented a proclamation and the district premiered a short educational video.
Megan Oreck, PSBA chief membership officer, presented the proclamation on behalf of the association and described Day as “a pioneering educator, civic leader, and trailblazer in public education.” The district said it will use the video across schools and encouraged the public to attend a community observance on Oct. 16 at Downey Elementary School from 2:00 to 2:30 p.m.
William Howard Day (born Oct. 16, 1825) was the first African American elected to a school board in Pennsylvania and later served as president of the Harrisburg board in 1891, presenters said. Historian Caleb Jackson told the board that Day’s community marker was dedicated July 22, 1997, and that the Oct. 16 event will include alumni and a classroom-adoption effort to sustain Downey Elementary.
District presenters credited a local William Howard Day committee and several historians for producing the video shown to the board. Committee members and speakers at the meeting included Yvonne Echols Hollins, Dr. Sharon Williams, and Todd M. Miele, who spoke about Day’s role in public education and community memory. The board acknowledged PSBA representatives Megan Oreck and Yovani Torres, and thanked PSBA CEO Nathan Mains (who did not attend).
The committee also noted community efforts to maintain the Commonwealth Monument Project on the State Capitol grounds, called “Gathering at the Crossroads,” which features figures tied to Reconstruction-era history and honors the area’s Old Eighth Ward. Presenters said the Commonwealth does not maintain the monument and that the committee is fundraising for preservation; interested people were directed to members of the William Howard Day committee for details.
The district said the short video was prepared with local educators and will be distributed for classroom use to support curriculum about Day’s life and legacy.
A commemoration event and additional interpretive activities are planned for Oct. 16 at Downey Elementary; the district asked the public to consult its website or contact committee members for fundraising or participation details.
