Blair kicks off centennial year celebration

“Whereas this school year marks the 100th anniversary of the opening of Montgomery Blair High School, one of the flagship institutions for one of the largest urban school districts in the country, currently serving over 3,200 students, also making it the most populated high school in Maryland. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the County Council of Montgomery County, Maryland, hereby recognizes and celebrates Montgomery Blair’s 100th anniversary, presented on this the 26th day of September in the year 2025.” 

This proclamation, read by Montgomery County Council president Kate Stewart, was a part of Blair’s centennial year celebration kickoff event, held on Friday, Sept. 26, in Blair’s auditorium. 

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Photo: The Blazer Pride Marching band playing a brief piece to open up the event.

The Blazer Pride Marching band playing a brief piece to open up the event. Photo courtesy of Bruno Resetarits.

The event began with a brief but energetic performance by Blair’s Blazer Pride Marching Band and Blair’s Cheer and Poms teams before Blair principal Damon Monteleone gave his opening remarks. He began by introducing the Montgomery County Board of Education members, including Blair senior Anuva Maloo, currently serving as the Student Member of the Board (SMOB), attending members of Blair’s Alumni Association, and important county leadership. 

Monteleone concluded his opening remarks by addressing the most striking detail he had noticed about Blair in his tenure so far: that Blair alumni will often come back to the area and get very actively involved in their community, which he described as an integral part of the supportive and empowering Blair community. 

Next, Mark Levin, president of the Blair Alumni Association, gave a brief but powerful speech about Blair’s history through several places around the school where names of important Blair alumni are displayed, like Blair students and alumni who lost their lives in World War II, alumni who played vital roles in racial integration efforts, and the teachers, who Levin described as “the soul of Montgomery Blair.” 

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Photo: Damon Monteleone speaking at the press conference kicking off Blair’s 100th anniversary

Damon Monteleone speaking at the press conference kicking off Blair’s 100th anniversary Photo courtesy of Bruno Resetarits.

After the prior proclamation from the Montgomery County Council, Takoma Park Mayor Talisha Searcy offered a powerful speech alongside her own mayoral proclamation. Searcy emphasized that Blair’s community must embrace their freedoms to learn, speak freely, and engage with people different from themselves, because those rights are currently under attack. Blair’s students must value their freedom while they have it. In her proclamation, she reasserted that the diversity of talent at Blair is a core tenet of the school. “Montgomery Blair High School has offered a century of outstanding academic, artistic, and athletic growth,” she said. 

Monteleone kept his closing statement short but impactful, emphasizing the uniqueness of Blair as a location and as a community. “This is a special place. Cherish it… now let’s go win that football game,” he exclaimed.