“Black,” said Hartman Elementary School student Alaundra Anderson, “. . . is as beautiful as two sisters walking hand in hand . . .

as wading in a pond on a hot summer day . . .

as you holding your baby for the very first time . . .”

The LINC student’s performance of Sharon D. Brown-Rogers’ poem, “Black is Beautiful,” earned her the top prize in the 4th-6th grade category of the Kansas City Public Schools’ Sankofa oratory contest.

Watch her video here.

The name, Sankofa, comes from the Akan tribe of Ghana in Africa. Sankofa is symbolized by the depiction of a bird, with its head looking behind as it carries an egg forward. The bird symbolizes the belief that a prosperous future is strengthened by honoring the past.

For Black History Month, KCPS students were asked: “What poem or speech inspires you to reflect on your history and helps to provide direction for your successful future?”

Also winning top prizes were:

Enoch Moran, Hartman Elementary, in the grade K-3 Division, for his recitation of “On Aging,” by Maya Angelou. Watch his video here.

Lawson Small, African-Centered College Preparatory Academy, in the grade 7-8 Division, for an excerpt from “Loving Your Enemies,” speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His video is here.

Princess-Makini Kheop, Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts, in the grade 9-12 Division, for “Intro,” by Reyna Biddy. Her video is here.