SPOKANE, Wash. — As Black History Month officially begins, many use this time of the year to highlight the accomplishments and leadership of those nationwide.
For Stephaine Courtney, February is another chance to uplift the community she loves.
“There are two tiers in this,” instructed Courtney while addressing a group of girls at North Central High School.
Much of her work reaches the youth living in and around Spokane. That includes traveling to different schools throughout the week—mentoring, coaching, and teaching students about a popular form of Black art known as stepping.
“One sound, one beat, one voice,” Courtney smiled.
When she first moved to Spokane in 1998, Black History wasn’t something the educator could feel being celebrated. Some moments felt isolating, which she doesn’t want the current generation to endure.
“I think what’s really important for me to see is the progress of bravery and empowerment,” she explained.
These step teams are a way of celebrating the multicultural populations that call Spokane home. Even more than that, a day of practice serves as a safe space, allowing students to authentically be themselves and grow with their peers.
“Confidence, yes! Let’s do it again,” cheered Courtney while the steppers completed a routine.
Her commitment to diversity goes beyond stepping.
It’s the quiet moments in a local coffee shop where a brainstorming session can suddenly turn into ideas for her program, the Learning Project.
“In the community, for the community, on the move for the community,” Courtney said.
One of her most recent goals that came to fruition is a children’s book that highlights Black leaders in Spokane. Courtney says this project she curated is a collaborative effort from the community to honor those who have had local impacts currently and in the past.
“We have a ton of different people from all different backgrounds that are in this book.”
Since its release, “Our Community Spokane” has become available in the Wishing Tree and Spokane Public Libraries.
Courtney believes this represents a proud step that can offer education to young people nearby.
“And I think a lot of times when we think about representation, we think about it one way, but there are so many ways we can represent people and who they are,” she explained.
DOWNLOAD THE KREM SMARTPHONE APP
DOWNLOAD FOR IPHONE HERE | DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID HERE
HOW TO ADD THE KREM+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KREM in the Channel Store.
Fire TV: search for "KREM" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email webspokane@krem.com.