TOLEDO, Ohio — Inside Ella P. Stewart Academy for Girls, lessons in the classroom often translate into real-world influences on students' lives.
They learn the basics such as reading, math and science, but they also learn about powerful women who have overcome odds to achieve their success.
As Judge Ketanji Brown-Jackson is being considered for the Supreme Court of the United States, it was an obvious choice to make her one of the leaders these girls learned more about. Her story was first introduced into a fifth-grade classroom at the school in February.
“We decided we would do a mock confirmation hearing as a culmination of our Black History Month/Women’s History Month,” explained one of the teachers.
SLIDESHOW: Ella P. Stewart Academy performs mock Supreme Court Nomination process
During the mock nomination process, students in third and fifth grades represented both senators and representatives. Teachers said it was important to include both houses of Congress, even though Judge Brown Jackson's hearing happened only before a Senate committee, because there are prominent African-American women in the House of Representatives that teachers wanted to showcase.
Fifth-grader Jaimarie Haythorne played the role of Brown-Jackson, answering several questions from lawmakers.
“I just look like her and we just agreed that I would be best for the part,” she said. “It was exciting ‘cause I learned a lot more about her history and what she did.”
Amari Hill is also a fifth-grader who played the role of Rep. Lauren Underwood of Illinois. She believes learning about these women is encouraging.
“Some people didn’t think women could do stuff and all women who’ve shown that they could do stuff just really inspire me because you can’t give up on something you dream about," Amari said.
The school's namesake, Ella P. Stewart, was the first Black female pharmacist in Toledo.
Born to sharecropper parents in West Virginia in 1893, Stewart worked in a pharmacy as a young woman and set her sights on becoming a pharmacist. She was denied admission by the University of Pittsburgh several times before finally being admitted.
She went on to become the first Black woman licensed to practice pharmacology in Pennsylvania. Stewart and her husband moved to Toledo in 1916 and opened the city's first Black-owned pharmacy.
The connection was meaningful as students at the school named in Stewart's honor explored another historic first -- the nomination of the first Black woman to the nation's highest court.
From hats to other clothing choices some of the students did their best to dress like the lawmaker they represented.
Third-grader Joud Amy Idraikh said it was fun to play the role of Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, even without the accessories.
“I do know she wears black glasses but I couldn’t find any kid-sized blue light glasses so that’s why I didn’t have any glasses this time,” she said.
Educators call this school the best hidden gem in the city of Toledo.
This month the students got to turn unfolding historic events into a one-of-a-kind learning experience.
Check out more from the students of Ella P. Stewart Academy for Girls on Tiffany Tarpley's Instagram!
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