Praise dancing, gospel singing and a talk show in Dana auditorium started a week of celebration in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Project Community and the Africana Community hosted the events all this week. Students also had the opportunity to participate in events such as peace breakfasts and community service days sponsored by various community groups throughout Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem.
The Project Community-hosted performance on Monday started with a talk show skit starring project coordinators as Louis Armstrong, Cesar Chavez, Rosa Parks and Dr. King. Talk show host, Jada Drew, kept the audience engaged, and Director of Community Learning, James Shields, delivered the overriding messages of the skit. “The struggle continues,” Shields told the audience. “It’s time to step up. It’s time to speak out for equality and civil rights.”
Drew hoped that people would learn about the people in the talk show. “I wanted to present the characters so the audience would remember them, especially the children,” Drew said. “When we got back to Pathways and were asking the children questions about the performances, they could answer them. That let me know the event was a success.”
Singing and praise dancing groups also performed. The Neo Black Society Gospel Choir from UNCG ended the event with an a cappella performance that filled the auditorium with beautiful harmonies and powerful solos. Shields took the stage after the final performance to affirm, “If the goal today was to bring in the spirit of Dr. King, I think we did that.”
Celebrations continued throughout the week on campus. The Africana Community hosted “In His Honor . In His Words” on Tuesday, Jan. 16 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the multi-purpose room of the Community Center. This event aimed to get the audience involved in the words and spirit of Dr. King. The event featured twelve students reciting Dr. King’s quotes and pieces of music in his honor, performed by both Shields and Holly Wilson.
Later in the week, the Africana Community held “Doing the Dream” on Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. in Bryan Jr. Auditorium. Through a history presentation and concerts, this event aimed to continue the week’s celebrations with a look at the music and atmosphere of the Civil Rights Movement. Notable performances included renowned jazz flutist Galen Abdur-Razzaq.