TOWSON, MD—The public is invited to attend the regionals and finals of the annual Baltimore County Public Schools Black Saga Competition.

Teams from elementary and middle schools from across the county will compete in a demonstration of their knowledge of African American history and culture. The keynote speaker for the regionals will be Douglas Handy, director of the Office of Career and Technical Education and Fine Arts. The keynote speaker for the finals will be Superintendent Dr. Darryl L. Williams. The regionals and finals are free and open to the public.

The Westside and Middle School Regionals will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 11, from 4 – 7:30 p.m. The Eastside Regional will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 12, from 5:15 – 7:30 p.m.  The Countywide Finals will then take place on Saturday, Feb. 22, from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

All events will take place at Loch Raven High School, located at 1212 Cowpens Avenue (21286).

Schools electing to participate in the competition prepare teams of students for the competition. Students study a chronological history of the African American experience in addition to a book study. Prior to the competition, elementary school students will have read “The Youngest Marcher; The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a young Civil Rights Activist” and “Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation,” and middle school students will have read “Answering the Cry for Freedom.”

Teams appearing in the final competition will have competed and received invites to attend the final competition based on their regional competition performance.