ANNUAL BLACK HISTORY, CULTURE BRAIN BOWL WINNERS ANNOUNCED

MIAMI —Coral Reef Senior High’s critical moment at the 2005 Annual Regional Black History and Culture Brain Bowl hinged on a question regarding a pivotal moment in pioneering African-American doctor Ben Carter’s book Gifted Hands.

By identifying the exchange that aced Dr. Carson’s interview with John Hopkins Hospital, Coral Reef took top honors in the competition. Second place went to MAST Academy. Hammocks Middle School placed third and received the middle school trophy.

Twenty-six teams registered for this year’s event sponsored by the Florida International University South Florida Center for Excellence, the Division of Social Sciences and the Florida Education Fund. The winning team will represent the South Florida region in the statewide competition April 15-16.

The Coral Reef team, coached by Dr. Keitha Burnett, prepared nearly five months for the competition. The multi-cultural team of two juniors and five seniors spent two nights a week studying literature and black history. Team members joined purely on general interest.

The teams were quizzed on From Slavery to Freedom by John Hope Franklin, The FireNext Time by James Baldwin and Gifted Hands by Dr. Ben Carson.

“What has impressed me most is the level of appreciation my team has gained. They wanted to learn more about black history,” says Burnett. “It has been a great experience for all of us.”

Since 1985, the Brain Bowl has motivated students to excel in reading and history. The competition challenges students’ knowledge of black history trivia, culture and literature. Winners at the state level vie for four-year university scholarships.

For more information contact John Doyle, administrative director, Division of Social Sciences, at 305-995-1982.

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