{"id":1315144,"date":"2026-03-13T17:03:25","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T22:03:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/?p=1315144"},"modified":"2026-03-14T09:02:57","modified_gmt":"2026-03-14T14:02:57","slug":"african-american-history-academic-challenge-encourages-pride-learning-among-madison-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2026\/03\/african-american-history-academic-challenge-encourages-pride-learning-among-madison-students\/","title":{"rendered":"African American History Academic Challenge encourages pride, learning among Madison students","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/b><\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>\n

Applause, laughter and cheering reverberated in a Madison auditorium on Thursday as students raced to answer questions during the African American History Academic Challenge. The annual event, a partnership between the Madison Metropolitan School District and the nonprofit 100 Black Men of Madison, Inc., seeks to enhance appreciation and knowledge of Black history and bolster pride and self-worth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student teams representing two high schools and a half-dozen middle schools demonstrated knowledge through challenges focused on key events, figures and themes in African American history. McFarland and Verona middle schools also hold the event, with winners advancing to a regional competition on March 14. That contest determines who represents Madison\u2019s 100 Black Men chapter on a national stage in New York City. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the middle school competition unfolded in the Doyle Administration Building, Sennett Middle School teacher Johnny Kennedy pumped her fist as she cheered on the students she coached. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m so proud of them,\u201d Kennedy said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her group of seventh and eighth graders had practiced since November. Some had competed last year without advancing, but they immediately knew they wanted to try again this year. James C. Wright Middle School ultimately advanced. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the separate high school contest that Robert M. La Follette High School won, \u201cCoach O\u201d Anderson, a Madison West High School student engagement specialist, said she learned about the event when her son Micah advanced to the national finals in Las Vegas during his eighth grade year in 2018. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

High schoolers tend to lag behind middle schoolers in participation. Anderson aimed to ramp up the same level of excitement among high schoolers that younger students display. She aims to engage more than just the \u201cusual kids who get the opportunities\u201d \u2014 like those already earning A\u2019s in history and taking AP courses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI wanted the regular kids who don\u2019t necessarily see themselves involved like this to have an opportunity,\u201d she said. Her main motivation is watching her students put themselves in \u201ctransformational situations,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"An
Students from Sennett Middle School and Sherman Middle School compete in the 2026 African American History Academic Challenge in the McDaniels Auditorium on March 12, 2026, at the Doyle Administration Building in Madison, Wis.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Dr. Floyd Rose, president of 100 Black Men of Madison, prepares the stage for the 2026 African American History Academic Challenge in the McDaniels Auditorium, March 12, 2026, at the Doyle Administration Building in Madison, Wis. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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\"Four
Madison West High School freshmen Carley Baker, from left, Jalena Johnson, and Connor Baker, alongside their coach, Madison West High School student engagement specialist Coach O Anderson, prepare to compete in the 2026 African American History Academic Challenge. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
\"Four
Madison West High School freshmen Carley Baker, clockwise from right, Jalena Johnson, and Connor Baker, alongside their coach, student engagement specialist “Coach O” Anderson, laugh while preparing to compete in the 2026 African American History Academic Challenge in the McDaniels Auditorium on March 12, 2026, at the Doyle Administration Building in Madison, Wis.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"Two
Madison West High School freshmen Connor Baker, left, and Jalena Johnson listen as the rules are read aloud before competing in the 2026 African American History Academic Challenge.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Two
La Follette High School students Per August Svensson, a junior, left, and Lillyanne Medenwaldt, a senior, compete in the 2026 African American History Academic Challenge. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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\"Two
Students from Madison West High School and La Follette High School shake hands after competing in the 2026 African American History Academic Challenge.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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La Follette High School junior Ajiefatou Sagnia studies her textbook while preparing for the 2026 African American History Academic Challenge.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Dr. Floyd Rose, president of 100 Black Men of Madison, listens as students compete in the 2026 African American History Academic Challenge.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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\"Three
Floyd Rose, president of 100 Black Men of Madison, from left, Edward Murray, Jr., a founding member, and J.R. Sims, spokesperson, talk among themselves during the 2026 African American History Academic Challenge in the McDaniels Auditorium on March 12, 2026, at the Doyle Administration Building in Madison, Wis. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
\"A
A spectator walks into the McDaniels Auditorium to watch the 2026 African American History Academic Challenge on March 12, 2026, at the Doyle Administration Building in Madison, Wis. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\t\n\t\t
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High school and middle school students demonstrated knowledge through challenges focused on key events, figures and themes in Black history.<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":802,"featured_media":1315145,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"single-feature.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"gigafact_has_fact_brief":false,"gigafact_remote_fact_brief_post_id":0,"gigafact_remote_sync_timestamp":"","gigafact_remote_sync_status":"","gigafact_remote_sync_response":"","gigafact_has_been_published":false,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"newspack_featured_image_position":"large","newspack_post_subtitle":"High school and middle school students demonstrated knowledge through challenges focused on key events, figures and themes in Black history.\n","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[85,19323],"tags":[19449,19448,19450,3656,3530,3617],"partner":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"type-of-work":[],"coauthors":[18800],"class_list":["post-1315144","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education","category-photos","tag-african-american","tag-black-history","tag-civics","tag-news","tag-photo-essay","tag-wisconsin-watch","entry"],"fact_brief":null,"apple_news_notices":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2026\/03\/african-american-history-academic-challenge-encourages-pride-learning-among-madison-students\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"African American History Academic Challenge encourages pride, learning among Madison students","url":"http:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2026\/03\/african-american-history-academic-challenge-encourages-pride-learning-among-madison-students\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2026\/03\/african-american-history-academic-challenge-encourages-pride-learning-among-madison-students\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/asseJT2L0272-scaled.jpg?fit=140%2C93&quality=100&ssl=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/asseJT2L0272-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1707&quality=100&ssl=1"},"articleSection":"Education","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Joe Timmerman \/ Wisconsin Watch"}],"creator":["Joe Timmerman \/ Wisconsin Watch"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Wisconsin Watch","logo":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/ww-logo-footer-1.png"},"keywords":["african american","black history","civics","news","photo essays","wisconsin watch"],"dateCreated":"2026-03-13T22:03:25Z","datePublished":"2026-03-13T22:03:25Z","dateModified":"2026-03-14T14:02:57Z"},"rendered":"