Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / Feb. 25, 1999, edition 1 / Page 3
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Local teen honored for community service jfrir T. KEVIN WALKER Ofe CHRONICLE ff Larry Leon Hamlin's annual ?Martin Luther King Jr. Day cele bration is the hottest ticket in the tfty The 2 1/2-hour musical and Theatrical extravaganza brings fame of the best and brightest local talent together under one rf Last month, as hundreds of fwople packed the Arts Council Theatre, one of the city's best and brightest also happened to be one pf its youngest. While other per {formers sang, rapped, danced or [ Jjlayed musical instruments - 14 r^ear-old Kenneth "Todd" Nelson jatrayed from the pack. [?" He read (performed, rather) t "Harlem," the classic poem by ! Langston Hughes which has been J embedded in many of our minds. }*; But from the poems opening ; line: "What ^i ? happens to a I d r e a m ; deferred," to ' its closing I line: "Or does , if explode?" you've proba bly never heard the poem spoken with such feeling and power. Hamlin i "I love the poem because it's actually asking you a question," Nelson said. "And so many peo ple have dreams." Nelson has some himself, although quite a few have already been realized. Last Thursday, at the Human Relations Comipis sion's annual banquet, Nelson was honored - along with several other local students - for his. efforts to make Winston-Salem a * kinder and gentler place. "It meant so much. I don't know how to describe how I felt," Nelson said about the honor. The Human Relations Com ' mission - a city-run organization - dedicated to fostering under standing between citizens - hon ' ors students who excel not only in academics but in community endeavors. Officials at each school in the county chose a student who best exemplified the things the com mission stands for. A committee formed by the commission then chose three special winners from among the schools - one from the elementary school, middle school and high school levels. Nelson - an eigth-grader at Mineral Springs - took the honor for the middle school level. He was cited for a number of rea sons. Last May, he formed CARV - Children Against Racism and Violence. The group is taking an active stance to try to bridge the gaps exists between the races. "I felt that it was time for us (young people) to make some changes," Nelson said, describing why he started the group. The rise in violence at schools around the nation has also been of great concern for the group, Nelson said. After a deadly shooting at an Arkansas school last year, CARV held a candle light vigil here for the students that died in the incident. Nelson also frequently volun teers at a local soup kitchen and is an active participant in Teen Court, a program in which young people involved in infractions are tried by their teenage peers. But Nelson doesn't want to be the next Johnnie Cochran. His true love is the stage. For years now, Nelson has been work ing with Hamlin and honing his acting skills. He has already done plays, and he has impressed audi- >. ences all over the city with his "performance" of "Harlem." "I haven't had the opportunity to do movies yet, but I want to do them," he said. He credits his acting with making him a better student and a better person. The craft opens up his mind and he's able to expe rience life as another person, if only for a brief time. \ In Nelson's case, the apple didn't falj far from his family tree. His inspiration, he says, is Shirley Moseley, his grandmother and an actress in her own right. Moseley recently took on a role in an updated version of T.S. Eliot's classic play "Murder in the Cathedral." But Moseley's voice may be more familiar than her face. She is the voice of a popular jazz pro gram on WSNC 90.5 FM. . "She has been my greatest influence," Nelson said proudly. He also gives credit to poet and Wake Forest University pro fessor Maya Angelou. Nelson says her poetry of inspires and motivates him. "Dr. Angelou is truly a phe nomenal woman. The way she speaks just touches me," he said. Nelson hopes that his actions will have a similar affect on teens who are younger ? than him. Although he says he doesn't nec essarily consider himself a role model, he does want to show kids that there are positive things in the community that can be done. When asked whether he was proud of his son's accomplish ments, the elder Kenneth Todd Nelson answered without hesita tion. "Any father would be proud of Todd because he's self-motivat ed," he said. Nelson's father says that he and his wife, Deletris, were involved in community activities throughout their lives, but jhey were unsure whether their chil dren would follow in their foot steps. \ "No matter what type of role* model you are as a parent, you never know how your children will turn out," he said. The elder Nelson credits God and the community, which he says has been very supportive, with keeping his children on the straight and narrow. "I'm just proud to be his daddy," he said with laugh. Kenneth Todd Nelson, the actor, student, volunteer and community activist says he is tak ing everything with a grain of salt. Although many pats on the back have come from people in the city and those at his school. Nelson says he is involved in so many activities because it brings him joy and pride, not because of all the praise he garners from them. "I don't do what I do to receive awards. I do it because it is fun and I like it," he said. ^^ _J Photo by T. Kevin Walker Todd Nelson is making a name for himself in-the local theatre community. The 14-year-old eras honored last week by the Human Rela tions Commission. I I ^ # I J , /^k J I I I B~^k I I I I ? ^k M ^k m ? ?Mi ? ? i*M Lg^r H ? 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Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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