Photo Courtesy of Cynthia Cumming Redwood fourth grade students, from left, Zoe Gill, McKenzie Northcutt, and Alana LaFontant with teacher Joy Burnett.
WEST ORANGE — Three fourth grade students at Redwood Elementary School received a first-runner up award in the New Jersey Amistad Commission’s “2026 African American History Contest.”
Seventeen students in Redwood teacher Joy Burnett’s fourth grade class participated in the contest, and three students: Zoe Gill, McKenzie Northcutt, and Alana LaFontant were named first-place winners for their research project on Queen Latifah.
This is the inaugural year for the contest, which was established to highlight New Jersey African American history. The girls selected Queen Latifah, a native New Jerseyan who was born Dana Elaine Owens in Newark in 1970. Latifah is an award-winning rapper, singer, actress, producer, and entrepreneur.
According to the NJ Amistad Commission website, “The goal of this contest is to align the learning journey and student projects with the New Jersey Standards, while empowering students to successfully develop confidence, pride, research, writing, public speaking and critical thinking skills. Additionally, the program will encourage educators to explore a new avenue to meet the mandate of the Amistad Legislation. The contest will have the following categories: Exhibit Poster, Essay (Paper), and Performance (poetry, dance, singing, skit or play). Students will be permitted to enter as a solo participant or in groups of two to four maximum. Each project will require a research paper of a minimum of 100 words, maximum of 300, listing all research, including interviews or other resources.”
Earlier this year, Burnett received the 2025 NJ Amistad Exemplary Teacher of the Year award.
Redwood fourth grade students, from left, Zoe Gill, McKenzie Northcutt, and Alana LaFontant with teacher Joy Burnett.
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