Friday, February 24, 2012

The Beginnings

About a year ago, I began to casually consider the role of race in my world.  Friends at my church encouraged me to attend special Multicultural Worship Services, I read the book "The Help" and remembered the powerful way my black nanny, Alberta, changed my life.  I listened to the young black girls I've mentored for years.  I (finally) heard the way they spoke about Africa, black Americans and themselves.  I heard the lack of confidence in the voices of the black teenagers with whom I attend church and winced every time they used the N-word to describe another black person.  I began to wonder, "What really is it like to be black in the United States?".  Then, I attended a performance which transformed my contemplation from casual to intentional.  Please watch the link attached.  It is a beautiful re-telling of an honest story and a challenge to us all.  It's a performance that changed my life. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwJdCNJbXIU
Choreographed by Dawne Swearingen
Speech by Dr. Jerry Taylor.


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