African American Club members visiting the Clotilda Museum in 2024
The mission of the African American Club is to support and enrich the McT experience for Blacks students educationally, spiritually, socially, and culturally through fellowship, college tours, field trips, youth ministry, community service, scholarship opportunities and cultrually sponsored activities and events.
Over the years, club members have participated in college tours to Xavier, Tuskegee, Alabama A&M, Bishop St., University of Mobile, South Alabama, Spring Hill College, Coastal CC, West Florida, Auburn, LSU etc. The club has visited the Clotilda Musuem twice, the Legacy Museum three times, the Gordon Parks Exhibit and the African American Avenue Cultural Center. Also, club members have attended the Gulf Coast Classic, Senior Bowl, and a Bryan Stevenson speaking engagement among other activities.
The AAC history of service includes tutoring students at St. Mary’s, Heart of Mary and Little Flower. Volunteering to assist with the First Light Marathon, MLK events, Parrish festivals, Habitat of Humanities, and club sponsored toy drive and food drives.
In 2024, the club participated in the inaugural Black History Scholars’ Bowl sponsored by the Clotilda Descendants Association. Last month we were the host site for the Black History Scholars’ Bowl sponsored the Dora Franklin Finley African American Heritage Trail, Inc. Our team won the championship overcoming The School of Math and Science in the championship road. We currently have six members in the National Honor Society. The club is a wonderful mix of 46 students and athletes with diverse backgrounds and interests.
This summer rising senior Reagan Burroughs will spend a week at Tuskegee University participating in the Thurgood Marshall College Fund SOAR Program. The program hosts week-long summer camps on the campuses of 16 historically Black colleges and universities around the country. The program focuses on college preparatory training, cultural enrichment and ongoing support throughout participants’ senior year. Also, we have three AAC members partipating in the Airbus Flight Works Alabama program at Bishop St. We definitely plan to send more students to both programs in the future.
Anesa Baker’s mother pictured with Anesa’s classmates after graduation mass
The Anesa Baker Memorial Scholarship-In 2018 our McT family tragically lost a beloved student Anesa Baker. Anesa was a kind, charismatic young lady with a contagious spirit who loved to dance and sing. In her honor, the African American Club created a memorial scholarship. In 2020, two incoming McT students from her alma mater, Little Flower, were awarded $1000 scholarship apiece. In 2021, two seniors, in what would have been Anesa’s graduating class, Beanna Edwards and Jaden Mosley received a $1000 Anesa Baker Memorial Scholarship based on their school spirit, service, character and achievement. The two are pictured to the left with Anesa’s mother, Valeria Renae McCarter.
Pictured from left to right- AAC members who are also in the National Honor Society. Students reading a black history announcement during Black History Month. The 1st place Black History Scholars’ Bowl team. In the final photo AAC members are pictured with Ms. Shelia Flanagan at the African American Avenue Cultural Center. Ms. Flanagan is the manager of the center and a Toolen alum class of 1970.