Who was the first African American woman to fly an airplane? Which Supreme Court case decided "separate but equal" education was inherently unequal and, hence, unconstitutional? These are some of the questions that 150 sixth graders in Lubbock, Texas were asked as they competed in the 11th Annual African American History Bowl held February 25th at Alderson Academy. The event is designed to broaden student's knowledge of black history and culture. The theme of the 2004 African American History Month is Brown v. Board of Education (50th Anniversary).

The African American History Bowl in Lubbock started at Hunt Elementary in 1993 under the direction of Ms. Vernita Holmes, Principal. After reorganization of the Lubbock Independent School District (LISD), Alderson Academy was privileged to carry on this great tradition.

Each elementary school in LISD is invited to send up to two teams to compete. Each team consists of four members. Thirty-eight teams competed this year. The competition consists of one written exam given to all participants and three rounds of the Super Quiz for the teams of four. Medals were given to the top ten individuals with the highest point totals on the written exam and trophies were given to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place teams with the highest point totals on the Super Quiz. Rush Elementary dominated team competition with teams winning 1st & 2nd Places. Smith's Elementary two teams tied for third place.

During the Awards Ceremony, Alderson Academy Principal, Denise Mattson, indicated one of the reasons the event is so successful is because of the volunteers. Lubbock FOD Miguel C. Rincon Jr., and Operations Specialists, Wanda C. Merritt, volunteered as judges for this year's event. It was a real opportunity for these HUD employees to give back to the community and an eye-opener to see how knowledgeable these sixth graders are about the African American culture. Other volunteers represented the faith-based community, private businesses, and Estacado High School, and Texas Tech University.