Livingstone starts
fund-drive events
in anticipation of
Tom Joyner effort
CHRONIC! I si \u REPORT
Livingstone College will hold several
events in conjunction with the school being
named the August School of the Month by the
Tom Joyner Foundation.
During August. Joyner, who hosts a popy
lar nationally-syndicated radio talk show, will
lobby for financial support for the Salisbury
based school.
Each year the Dallas. Texas-based Tom
Joyner Foundation, established by Joyner in
1997, chooses II historically black colleges
and universities to help with fund-raising
through gifts from cor
porations. foundations,
alumni, donors and
friends. Joyner is a
Tuskegee University
alumnus and his founda
tion - operated by his
sons Thomas Jr. and
Oscar, who are also
HBCU alumni - has
raised millions of dol
lars for black colleges.
Joyner and his foun
dation have already
given to Livingstone. This spring. Joyner - on
the "Christmas Wish List" segment of his
morning show - gave continuing education
student Nakia Rhyne a new Dell laptop com
puter that she asked for in a letter to the show.
All funds raised by the foundation and the
college in August will be used for scholar
ships and school-related supplies for deserv
ing students at Livingstone. Between 95 and
98 percent of Livingstone'students need some
kind of financial assistance during their
matriculation. Livingstone's Tom Joyner
Foundation campaign goal is $200,000.'
Last Saturday, Livingstone jumped-started
the fund-raising efforts with a prayer break
fast hosted by the school's academic affairs
wing. Participants were asked to donate $10
to take part in the event.
From 7-11 p.m. on July 25. the Division
for Institutional Effectiveness and Technolo
gy will host a black-tie affair with music by
Dr. Chuck Beattie (aka "Dr. Blues"). Helen
Rifas on harp and Yolanda Murrell on violin.
The cost is $100 per person. The event will be
held in the Aggrey Student Union. IET also
will hold a Louisiana-style fish fry and a
walk-a-thon from 1 -6 p.m. on July 26 on cam
pus.
Joyner and his radio crew will be in Win
ston-Salem Aug. 8 to draw interest for the
fund campaign for Livingstone.
Donations to Livingstone through the Tom
Joyner Foundation can be made throughout
and after August. Checks can bd-mailed to the
college at 701 West Monroe Street. Salisbury.
NC 28144. "Tom Joyner Foundation" should
be indicated on the memo line.
Joyner
Income tax certification
class coming to Triad
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
A tax preparation service will offer an ori
entation class leading to professional certifi
cation July 21 at 6:30 p.m. in the DCU audito
rium on the campus of Dudley Products in
Kernersville.
The orientation class, offered by the Beau
mont. Texas-based ComproTax. is designed
for individuals who are in the market for addi
tional income or who are seeking opportuni
ties for self-employment.
Participants will earn professional certifi
cation status upon completion of the regular
class.
There is no charge for the orientation class,
but registration is encouraged (336) 996-4704.
Students
from paf^e AI
America is not a classless society," said
Smith.
Begiojiing on July 28. the students will
spend two weeks traveling by bus from
Atlanta to Mississippi learning about life in
the South. The bus will double as both trans
portation and classroom on the road, com
plete with audiovisual equipment. Laptop
computers will allow the students to record or
access information during the trip. Students
will earn three credits for taking the course
and they will compile demographic profiles
oFffie communities they visited.
Follow ing the paths of civil rights history,
students will make stops in Birmingham.
Selma. Tuskegee. Hattiesburg and Memphis.
Students will also tour the Mississippi State
Penitentiary at Parchman in Mississippi, the
hotel where Martin Luther King Jr. was assas
sinated. The Tuskegee Institute as well as
meet Richard Rubin, author of the class's
textbook. "Confederacy of Silence."
Angela Hattery. associate professor of
sociology at Wake, said the trip is taking the
class onto the road in order to gain more
insight into race.?class and equality at this
point in time.
"It's not just a history class. We're going
to go the sites and see what happened, what's
happened since then and find out how the
community has dealt with and continues to
deal with issues of race, class and equality
since the 1950s and 1960s." said Hattery.
Ministers, activists and ordinary citizens
from each of the communities, said Hattery,
will meet with the students to share their per
sonal accounts of life in the South.
Arts take center stage at church in summer
BY T KEVIN WALKER
mi CHRONICLE
Dozens of pre-teenagers staged
a mini-Broadway review Saturday
at Mount Zion Baptist Church.
They were the latest batch of kids
to matriculate through the church's
respected summer arts camp.
Saturday's performance was
billed as a Salute to the Performing
Arts and gave camp participants a
chance to show their parents and
others what they have learned over
the last six weeks. The kids sang,
danced and showcased their knack
with musical instruments.
Gladys Whitworth Bray is the
director of the camp. She said that
four years ago when the camp was
founded. Mt. Zion wanted to offer a
different kind of summer experi
ence for children. Bray - a retired
science teacher who taught at an
arts school in Washington, D.C. -
believes the arts is a subject that
nearly every child is lacking.
"We use the arts not only to edu
cate but to instill discipline. The
kids who are into the arts very
rarely get into trouble." Bray said.
The camp is not all about the
arts. Campers also get lessons in
math, social studies and reading.
For the arts component. Bray
recruited an able band of arts pro
fessionals to teach the children in a
variety of disciplines. Local jazz
singer Janice Price Hinton, a long
time member of Mt. Zion. schools
the children in voice and acting.
Terrill Shepherd, a rising senior
music education major at Winston
Salem State University, teaches
piano and recorder (a small wooden
or plastic flute-like instrument).
Albert Strong IV. a recent jazz stud
ies graduate from N.C. Central Uni
versity, teaches trumpet and percus
sion. Strong and Shepherd are in
their early 20s and both became
interested in music in their teens.
Bray hopes their presence will
influence the campers.
"(Shepherd and Strong> are giv
ing back. (The campers) will give
back too. All it takes is for someone
to get behind them." Bray said.
In an era where hip-hop is king.
Shepherd has gotten campers'
attention by drawing parallels
between the rhythms in rafk tunes
and those in "Mary Had a Little
Lamb" (a song the campers were
required to learn).
"You have to find different
ways to get the kids motivated
when the music is not rap or R&B."
said Shepherd, who hope> to be a
symphony conductor. Shepherd has
already worked with Winston
Salem Symphony Conductor Peter
Perret. a man Shepherd calls his
mentor.
Strong, who will attend gradu
ate school at Northern Illinois Uni
versity this fall, said that to truly
appreciate the music that is popular
today, young people need to under
stand and embrace the music of the
past.
"Most of us do not pay homage
to the music from our past.'' said
Strong, who aspires to record jazz
music. "I appreciate music from our
past, so I think I can appreciate hip
hop and modern music more."
The Mt. Zion Summer Arts
Camp is scheduled to wrap up next
week. But Bray said the camp may
continue for the next month if
enough campers sign up for the
extra session. For more informa
tion about signing up for the camp,
call 722-2325.
Students form a disjointed line to hug Janice Price Hinton.
Happy Hill community reunion to be held
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE I T~ ? 1
The William C. Sims Recreation
Center will present the I Oth annual
Happy Hill Reunion this weekend.
On July 18 at 1201 Alder Street,
the community service program will
begin at 7 p.m.. honoring: Cary Cain,
former president of Southside Com
munity Development Corp. (CDC);
Kay Lord, Habitat for Humanity;
Housing Authority of Winston-Salem
(HAWS); New World Cappadocia
Outreach Center Inc.; James Basta,
volunteer piano teacher at Sims
Recreation Center; and dedicated hus
band and wife team JetTy and Ruby
Hinson.
On July 19 at the William C. Sims
Recreation Center and Happy Hill
Park, the second stage of the Happy
Hill Reunion will begin at 10:30 a.m.
It will start with a people parade at the
top of Gill Street fpr peace and love.
There will be a peace balloon lift for
deceased children and adults around
the city.
The following entertainment is
scheduled at Happy Hill Park on July
19: children's talent show; Line of
Judah. Dr. Cynthia Winthrop (Simply
Cynthia, singer from Mableton. Ga.),
Joe Robinson, Peace of Mind, Boss
Drummers. C-Nauts Spilled Ink and
other performers.
There will be vendors, games.
video games and a horseshoe tourna
ment sponsored by William C. Sims
Recreation Center and Rising Ebenez
er Baptist Church.
People also are encouraged to
bring picnic baskets to bring people
together.
On July 20 at 9 a.m.. there will be
Happy Hill community worship serv
ice at True Temple Holiness Church.
Pastor Gaither and Pastor Wilkins will
come together to do this worship serv
ice in Happy Hill. The church is
beside the Sims Recreation Center.
Founders of the Happy Hill
Reunion. William "Rock" Bitting and
Ben Piggott. wish to thank everyone
who supported them.
Happy Hill is the oldest African
American community in Winston
Salem.
Founders Ben Piggott and Rotk Bitting with the 1998 Happy Hill Reunion Committee.
'Miss Evers' Boys'
from page AI
version of "The Vagina Mono
logues" featuring celebrities such
as Mo'Nique and Vanessa Bell Cal
loway. The production raised near
ly $10,000 for L.A. women's shel
ters. Her YettaYoung Productions
also has brought to the stage the
Keith Antar Mason play "For Black
Boys Who Have Considered Homi
cide When the Streets Were Too
Much" and Ntozake Shange's "For
Colored Girls Who Have Consid
ered Suicide When the Rainbow Is
Enuf," which was staged in Wash
ington, D.CL
Young, a Fisk University gradu
ate, "stepped out on faith" and into
the cut-throat world of entertain
ment after she was downsized from
her Washington. D.C., social serv
ice job in 1998.
As a West Coast theater direc
tor, Young has had much success
land 'a sleufcfif NAACP Theatre
Award nominations), considering
that Hollywood is a world away
from the traditions of the Great,
White Way.
"L.A. is not really a theater
town," Young said. "A lot of people
out here want to be on television or
in films."
Young held extensive auditions
for the seven actors that make up
the cast of "Miss Evers' Boys." She
said the cast is a rare find in Tinsel
town, where everyone has stars or
dollar signs in his eyes.
"They are hard working. They
are hungry, and that is exciting.
They are not jaded in any way by
this business."
Shonnese C.L. Coleman plays
the title role in the play. The role is
a dream come true for the actress
who cut her teeth on the stages of
New York playing memorable char
acters such as Sojourner Truth and
Harriet Tubman.
"I was really interested in get
ting into a role that 1 could study."
Coleman said. She spent time
researching Eunice Rivers and
wound up having great respect for
the nurse. Over the decades, how
ever, some have questioned the role
of Nurse Rivers, because at some
point she did discover what the
government was doing but held her
tongue. Coleman said her character
is caught between a rock and a hard
place.
"I feel she is a victim as well.
She was following her oath as a
nurse by following the doctors'
instructions," Coleman said.
The vari
sions of the
character
have given
Coleman
fodder as an
actress.
"It has
challenged
me to go
places I
have never
explored
before," said
Coleman,
who has
starred in
close to a
dozen stage
productions
and played
the lead role
in the Show
time short
film "Rain."
This will
be Cole
man's first
time at the
NBTF. She
has been a
longtime fan
of the festi
val and is
excited about the possibility of see
ing other festival plays. Coleman
hopes people are just as excited
about "Miss Evers' Boys." She bills
it as both entertaining and educa
tional, heart-wrenching and histori
cal.
"I think we need to see things
like this so we can see what has
happened in our history, because if
we don't know our history, we will
make the same mistakes." Coleman
said.
Young said the play is not all
about tragedy and despair. There
are elements of humor, dancing (the
lead male character is an aspiring
o
professional dancer) and love.
Young also said that people who
have seen the HBO movie based on
the play will get a new perspective
from the stage.
"Because we are doing it on
stage, we are forced to be more cre
ative. so if you have seen the
movie, you will get something dif
ferent." Young said.
.''Miss Evers' Boys" will be
staged at the Arts Council Theatre
at 8 p.m. on Aug. .5 and at 3 p.m.
and 8 p.m. on Aug. 6 and Aug. 7.
Tickets are $35. For tickets, call
723-7907 or log onto www.nbtf.org.
WMi
Tickets: (336) 778-6310 or (336) 778-637C
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