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The Vidalia High School choir performs “Turn Me Around” and “Siyahamba” during the Black History Month program at Vidalia High School (Sabrina Robertson | The Natchez Democrat)

Left, Adaija Harris gives a presentation on Mary Jackson, first African American female to become an engineer at NASA. Right, Egypt Duck gives a presentation on Shirley Chisholm, first African American female elected to the House of Representatives (Sabrina Robertson | The Natchez Democrat)

Zakala King recites “Phenomenal Woman” during the Black History Month program at Vidalia High School on Thursday (Sabrina Robertson | The Natchez Democrat)

Left, Trinity Riley gives a presentation on Katherine Johnson, first African American female to work at NASA. Right, Vidalia High School choir director Tema Larry sings along with the worship team in the audience of the Black History Month Program on Thursday. (Sabrina Robertson | The Natchez Democrat)

The Vidalia High School worship team sings during Thursday's Black History Month program (Sabrina Robertson | The Natchez Democrat)

Jaden Lee gives a hug and presents flowers to his grandmother, retired educator Margaret Mays. Other honorees such as Circuit Judge Carmen Brooks Drake, right, sit in the audience during the Vidalia High School Black History Program on Thursday. (Sabrina Robertson | The Natchez Democrat)

The program’s speaker Rev. Raymond Riley Sr. delivers a message to students. (Sabrina Robertson | The Natchez Democrat)

VIDALIA, La. — Vidalia High School’s Black History Month program on Thursday celebrated the achievements of African Americans nationally and in the Natchez and Concordia Parish area — particularly African American women.

One after another, students stood at the podium in the Viking gymnasium to describe notable figures like Shirley Chisholm, the first African American female elected to the House of Representatives; Katherine Johnson, the first African American female to work at NASA. Also, they celebrated the achievements of Adams County Justice Court Judge Shameca Collins; Circuit Judge Carmen Brooks Drake; Vidalia Municipal Judge Hu’Cheryl M. Walker and long-time educator from Vidalia Margaret Mays.

Mays’ grandson Jaden Lee presented her achievements, including the lives she reached through her years in education and her community involvement, before presenting her with a bouquet of flowers where she sat in the audience.

Choir director Tema Larry led students in traditional spiritual songs like “Turn Me Around” and “Siyahamba” while the VHS worship band led by Bethani Douglas and Dara Shirley asked the audience to join them in singing contemporary worship songs like “Trust in God” and “Goodness of God.”

Keynote Speaker Rev. Raymond Riley Sr. said while the spirituals are key part of African American history — used by Harriet Tubman, also called “Moses,” to guide enslaved people to their promised land — the contemporary songs contain a message that he lives by, to trust in God because he is good.

Tubman, born into enslavement, became free and used her freedom to help other enslaved people escape.

“Stop letting other people tell you who you are,” Riley said to the students attending Thursday’s program. “Everybody in here — whether you are Black, white, red or brown — you have a gift. Don’t sit on your gifts, because God would take your gift and give it to the next person standing beside you. And then he’ll give the glory to that person and they’ll turn around and allow that glory to let them prosper in ways that you wanted to prosper.”

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