On Friday, Giffen Elementary School honored Persell McDowell as an “Unsung Hero” at its Black History Celebration.
McDowell was a pivotal civil rights leader in the South End during the 1960s. He was a member of The Brothers, a group of African-American men who used non-violent tactics to fight for access to union employment, better housing opportunities, trash collection and an end to police brutality. Today McDowell is a different sort of leader – a hall monitor at Giffen. Students and staff alike look up to him and he is admired throughout the school.
In addition to recognizing McDowell, the Black History Celebration featured several student performances – including a video of students in the 4th Family mentoring program interviewing McDowell.
Visit our Facebook page to see more photos from the event. (You don’t need a Facebook account to view the photos. A window may display the text "To see more from Albany City Schools on Facebook, log in or create an account," but this can be dismissed by clicking "not now.")
