Archbishop Curley Notre Dame 6 to 12 Prep Makes 'Living History.' Tom Salyer's Multimedia Presentation is Welcomed into the Archives of Prestigious History Museums.

November 30, 2011

Media Preview Available Now. Official Launch Thursday, December 15, 2011.

Is once again making 'living history' by announcing a nation-wide launch of a multimedia slide presentation that documents the school's 50th anniversary of being the first high school in Florida to integrate – ten years before Miami-Dade County public schools complied after receiving a federal court order.

Educating students with a mission to cross the cultural boundary through the acceptance of students despite their economic or ethnic backgrounds has been an historical journey. It leads forward from this 1960 moment that includes welcoming school-age refugees during Operation Pedro Pan through to the present where the school admits students from families fleeing hurricane-torn Haiti, as well as from countries in Latin and South America that are either facing the effects of war, economic hardships, or political unrest.

The multimedia presentation titled, "History Detectives" by professional photographer Tom Salyer will be launched on the school's website www.acnd.net on Thursday, December 15, 2011. The launch will coincide with an official announcement that the presentation has been accepted into the archives of highly-renowned historical institutions: The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, New York; the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture of the New York Public Library, New York; and HistoryMiami – Miami's premier cultural institution committed to gathering, preserving , celebrating Miami's history.

"History Detectives" will also be the South Florida civil rights archival contribution at the January 12, 2012 screening and discussion of "Daisy Bates: First Lady of Little Rock" – a presentation by Public Insight Network Nine Network of Public Media, St. Louis Public Television and in collaboration with the Community Cinema Series which screens independent films from the acclaimed PBS Independent Lens. The presentation will be broadcast on one of the Nine Network sites.

"History Detectives" documents the project led by ACND history teacher David Monaco where a group of students interview alumni and research for supporting documentation at Main Library of the Miami-Dade Public Library System. The project culminated in a school and community-wid e assembly that welcomed back the school's first African-American student Paul Wyche along with other members of Classes of 1960 and 1961.

The story, reunion, and emotional moments were captured and preserved by South Florida's premier media sources: the Miami Herald – front page Sunday, February 13, 2011; South Florida Times – front page Metro February 3, 2011; WSVN Channel 7; and WPLG Channel 10.

Sydney Meyer, Project Manager at KETC Channel 9 in St. Louis, MO received "History Detectives" with great enthusiasm. She comments, "I just finished watching the History Detectives at Curley Notre Dame Prep. It was absolutely wonderful and a neat project for those young students to study and participate in."

Sydney Meyer, Project Manager at KETC Channel 9 in St. Louis, MO received "History Detectives" with great enthusiasm. She comments, "I just finished watching the History Detectives at Curley Notre Dame Prep. It was absolutely wonderful and a neat project for those young students to study and participate in."

The February 2011 event at ACND sheds light on notable school alumni whose families advocated for the integration of public institutions. Alumna Carlotta Rhetta Campbell and her parents were educators. Her mother taught Latin, American History, and Government at Booker T. Washington High School and in 1947, she was awarded a Master of Arts in American History and Government from the University of Pennsylvania. Carlotta's father worked as a truant officer for Miami-Dade public schools and supported the rights of migrant workers and an end to child labor. Carlotta is a retired teacher and counselor holding a Master in Data and Psychological Services from Albany State University – the same school where her husband Dr. Wilburn A. Campbell retired as Dean of College Education.

Graduate Paul Wyche's father was the first African-American United States Customs Chief Inspector. His mother was a nursing pioneer who started working in hospital 'colored wards' and would retire after 30 years of service.

Alumnus, Cyrus Jollivette's mother was a Miami-Dade county school principal who helped integrate faculty at Miami Jackson High School. Wyche is a nationally known communications executive and founder of Wyche & Associates, Casselberry, Florida and Jollivette is the Senior Vice President, Public Affairs for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida.

Archbishop Curley Notre Dame 6 to 12 Prep is not available for public view until Thursday, December 15, 2011 at www.acnd.net. However, members of the media may preview the presentation at www.galleries.tomsalyer.com/MultiIntegration/. Questions regarding this project should be directed to ACND Principal, Br. Patrick Sean Moffett, CFC. Ph.D. officeoftheprincipal@acnd.net, 305.751.8367 *17.