Senior Elisha Wolday, Master of Ceremonies

Senior Elisha Wolday is this year’s Master of Ceremonies (MC) of the Black History Month Assembly. It is a job that he has been wanting to do for a long time. “I’ve always had this dying hunger for being the MC here,” Wolday said. “I’m really active in my community and going out to D.C. and participating in protests.”

Wolday is heavily involved in the assembly, and has been involved in past years, as well. He is also a member of many African American organizations. “Last year I was one of the board members,” Wolday said. “This year we have a committee. I have two clubs, including the African American Society Club.”

Planning for the assembly was an involving task that took lots of effort from Wolday and the other members of the planning committee. “We’ve met during Generals Period every day since December,” he said. “Right now I’m the MC.”

His vision for the assembly is to empower Arlington’s African American community. “The goal here was not to victimize African Americans,” Wolday said. “The goal was to teach these people the history of Arlington. Arlington is seen as a majority Caucasian community. There is an African American community that’s dying here.”

Wolday hopes that this assembly does just that. Overall he sees his African American heritage as a source of pride. “I’m proud but I don’t want to be selfish,” Wolday said. “Black History Month is a way to educate my fellow brothers and sisters.”