Imani Christian Academy wrapped up Black History Month with a Pastor’s Prayer Breakfast that brought together local clergy, students, and school leaders for a morning of worship, connection, and shared mission.

The breakfast, hosted on a Friday morning, convened pastors whose churches are located in the communities many Imani students call home — neighborhoods like East Hills, Homewood, Lincoln-Lemington, and Larimer. For Paulo Nzambi, CEO and Head of School, the gathering represented an opportunity to strengthen the school’s Churches and Champions Network, a formal program designed to engage the body of Christ in supporting Imani’s work.

“There’s a convergence of population,” Nzambi explained. “The people in the pews are the pupils in our seats.”

The breakfast opened with a powerful call to order: a drum corps performance by the entire senior class, both males and females. Following that, Imani’s second grade class led attendees through the components of the school’s morning assembly — singing “This Is the Day That the Lord Has Made,” reciting the Lord’s Prayer and the Imani Creed, and repeating the cadence that has become a distinctive part of Imani’s culture.

“When we say Imani is unapologetically Christian, they got to see that and see what that means firsthand,” Nzambi said. “In the way that our students conduct themselves, in the way that we pray, in the way that we worship and the way that we praise.”

The event also served practical purposes aligned with the Churches and Champions Network’s mission. Nzambi used the gathering to address the school’s current work and future trajectory. He spoke about opportunities for employment among congregation members, noting that as a Christian school, Imani spends considerable time searching for faith-filled, spirit-led teachers. Connecting directly with clergy offers a pathway to recruit mission-driven educators who might already be attending these churches.

The Churches and Champions Network also seeks to ensure Imani is considered when families look for schools. “Many times when parents are looking for schools to send their kids, we are not in that line of consideration,” Nzambi explained. “What we want to make sure is that we are considered as an alternative for individuals attending their congregations to send their kids to our school, because we think that our value system is aligned.”

Principal Patrice Wade Johnson was introduced to the religious leaders, many of whom already knew her as a well-known figure in Pittsburgh’s education landscape. The pastors expressed appreciation that Johnson, an experienced professional educator, chose to lend her energy to advancing Imani’s mission rather than retire.

Nzambi hopes to continue the dialogue. “It is not typical that you are able to get that many members of the clergy in one place at the same time, unless it’s a clergy related event,” he said. “They were gracious and wonderful enough to show up at Imani Christian Academy and participate.”

The Pastor Breakfast served as a fitting conclusion to a month of activities celebrating African American history — though as Principal Johnson noted, Black History Month at Imani is “kind of redundant because we’re black history all year long.”

Throughout February, middle and high school students competed in academic quiz bowls focused on African American history, covering facts across arts, science, history, and sports in a format similar to KDKA’s High School Quiz game. Students won prizes and were cheered on by their classmates. Elementary students presented on historical figures they had chosen and studied, sharing their research with the entire elementary school.

Students in Imani’s Guild programs — African Dance, African Drumming, and Gospel Choir — also gave performances for their fellow students, showcasing the cultural traditions that are woven into the school’s curriculum year-round.

“I think it’s important for our children, as a part of their educational process, that they understand true history,” Johnson said. “Understanding the contributions across many domains — when they talk about inventors, all of those things we use, ironing boards and cell phones, security systems — that they understand the roots of those things.”

For Johnson, the goal is to ensure students learn the full narrative of African American history, not just the origins of slavery. She wants Imani students to understand that Black history is American history, woven into every domain of life and innovation.

As the Pastor Breakfast demonstrated, that education extends beyond the classroom and into the community, building bridges between the church pews and school seats that share the same families, the same mission, and the same commitment to raising the next generation.