Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / Aug. 11, 2005, edition 1 / Page 6
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OPINION The Chronicle iMKfST N. PlTT Publisher/Co-Founder Si Aim Pitt Business Manager J. KlYIM WA iCft Managing Editor KAY STUITI Production Supervisor North CmtoMm Photo by Kevin Walker Mr. Marvta?tic Larry Leon Hamlin. We need a black theater museum Ernie Pitt This & That Last week we threw out the idea to the Marvtastic Curator of the arts, Larry Leon Hamlin, that he should begin to organize an effort to con struct a museum here. We sug gested then and do so again that the museum house arti facts and memorabilia chart ing the beginning, growth and future of black theater. It was certainly obvious to me that such a place is needed. We talk about how vital tourism is to the city, but we rarely talk about ways to attract visitors. Last week was a glaring example of how black theater can impact our town. Thousands of visitors from around the country, even from abroad, flocked to Win ston-Salem for the National Black Theatre Festival to experience what many do not have the opportunity to expe rience in their own towns: black actors, writers, produc ers, directors and black plays. It was covered by national and international media out lets. This festival, founded and headed by "Sir Hamlin," as our guest editorial writer called him, has put Winston Salem on the map. Now the city, county and state need to step up to the plate and sup port the festival in a way that will ensure its success and longevity. We also suggested last week that perhaps the state secretary of cultural resources could be instrumental in this effort. 1 am suggesting that Sir Hamlin get a group of people together and put a National Black Theatre Museum Com mittee together for the pur pose of beginning the process. As I'm sure you know, every thing is a process. Part of the process is buy-in. You have to get key individuals to buy into the idea in order to get the ball rolling. I know for a fact that there are influential people here who would welcome a call from Sir Hamlin in this regard. I hope that Larry will make those calls and invite those persons who are on the sidelines to join him in this effort. One must be mindful, however, of the different per sonalities in this town that often clash. It may be difficult to get some people together at the same table, but we must keep our eyes on the prize, not the individuals. I hope and pray that we can do that. And I encourage Larry to begin to open dialogue on the subject. God bless you. Amen. Ernie Pitt is the publisher of The Chronicle. E:mail him at erpitt?wschronicle .com . Submit letters and columns to: Chronicle Mailing, P.O. Box 1636, Winston-Salem, NC 27102 Please prim clearly. Typed letters and columns art preferred. If you are writing a guest column, please include a photo of yourself. We reserve the right to edit any item submitted for clarity or brevity. You also can e-mail us your letters or columns at: news? wschronicle com Letters to the Editor Marvtastic Winston-Salem To the Editor: As a citizen of Winston Salem, 1 would like to applaud Mayor Allen Joines, Don Row and all the others involved for having the vision of attracting Dell Computer to Forsyth County. These men and women are to be applauded for their hard work and perseverance. Their ability to attract Dell Computer to this com munity will have a lasting eco nomic impact on our community. Joines works hard and diligently to make this community one which we can be proud of. I would also like to applaud Larry "Marvtastic" Leon Hamlin for the great work that he has done for our community. He had a vision in 1979 to coordinate a National Black Theater Art Festi val in Winston-Salem. There were skeptics who said it couldn't be done, but Hamlin pressed on in spite of all odds. Hamlin is working diligently with the local magnet schools to help the students improve their self-esteem through poetry and drama. Hamlin is including all ethnic groups for participation in the fes tival. It is a blessing to have these hardworking visionaries as part of our community. These men are striving to improve the social, cul tural and economic lives of all the citizens of Forsyth County. Paul L. Hazel Winston-Salem City Council To the Editor: I read Ernie Pitt's "This & That" piece in Thursday's Chroni cle, and I generally agree with your position. However, the atti tude of indifference on the part of the council extends to virtually all of the citizens of the city except for the select few that are consid ered "insiders." The City Council has lost touch with its constituents and its ultimate source of power - the voters. This is not a racial thing; it is the arrogance of unchecked power and crosses racial , econom ic and social lines. I regularly attend City Council meetings and speak on many issues (Dell and other corporate incentives, equal opportunity and respect to all citizens, to name a few), and when I do. 1 too get the bored look of indifference from the council. And by the way, Mr. Pitt, it's not just me, it's not just you, it's happening to everybody they don't agree with. Like you, I don't know the specifics of the Webster or Green cases, but 1 do know the council was not the least bit interested in responding to them. I would be! This year, people of good faith who want to return control of the City Council to the voters will have an opportunity to make some different choices. 1 will be one of' those choices. There will be others as well. If you truly believe that new faces are needed in city gov-1 ernment, please consider me as a possible choice. We will agree on some issues ? and disagree on others. That is the* nature of the world. But I promise you this: I will always tiy to do what is right for the citizens of Winston-Salem. My personal1 honor demands that I do no less. ' i Sincerely, ' Richard Norman ' Candidate for Winston-Salem' City Council ( North Ward) r I. CAH'T l. HI JOSf... SEEKS SO ' ...DARN GENIM-1 ??sr writ m> it*# 'Winsome sailing' in Winston-Salem ' Bernadine M. Duncan Guest Columnist I just left Winston-Salem and it wasn't Winston-Salem at all. Contradictory? Yes. But true. Here's another contradiction. I enjoyed myself so much I left early. Let me explain. When I drove into downtown Winston-Salem for the National Black Theatre Festival , it was like arriving at the dock to step onto a luxury ocean liner about to set sail to magical unknown ports. Moving through the city and just looking at the people arriving promised a weeklong trip that would be surreal, ethereal and, well, a bit like Oz. For example, I knew I was in the geographical space usually occupied by the tobacco town of Winston-Salem, but it wasn't that Winston-Salem anymore. 1 felt pleasant^nxiety. As I approached downtown, I noticed that all cross streets lead ing to this mecca of theater, music, poetry and camaraderie had been renamed National Black Theater Boulevard. It was like driving across numerous yellow brick roads that all led to the glit ter and glamour of the festival. Completing this feeling of moving within an alternate reality was the banner stretched across the street welcoming guests with a picture of its creator: the purple wizard with the blue depression glass spectacles (think sort of a cross between Prince and Elton Johji), Larry Leon Hamlin. 1 felt honored to participate in his dream. When I got there, celebrities were already in their glittering gowns and tuxedoes awaiting the limousines that would take them to the gala. We commoners stood around watching and photograph ing them as they waited. They smiled at us in a manner that made each of us feel that they were as happy to see us as we were them. All of us, celebrities, people visiting from around the country and, I suspect, the world, and those from the community all seemed to be happy just to be in the mix. The great part for me was how strangers became instant friends who were intent on expe riencing this trip together, whether it was a meal, seeing or critiquing one of the many plays, reading parts in the script ses sions, or reciting or listening to poetry in the open mike sessions. This was not the type of jour ney where anyone had to waste time getting to know his or her Photo by Jaeson Pin Helena Lev/it and Malcolm-Jamal Warner host one of the Midnight Poetry Jams. fellow travelers; there were spon taneous friendships because we all had something in common: We were African-AmericJns in a Southern city at a black theater festival for us, by us, starring us, so there were no strangers. Me? I was smiling at anyone who caught my eye and talking to any one who even paused close to me. 1 felt connected, too conversa tional, and ecstatic. Now, I want to talk about how I felt as an African-American woman with dreadlocks from a city where my daughters and I are still a bit different from those with the permanents, hot combs, weaves and press-on hair. At this festival, we are in our element. I would come just to walk among the majestic, beautiful women with their natural hair, swaying (often ample) hips, and creatively unique styles. I've never experi enced it in such abundance any where else. I felt related to women of dis tinction. and I loved being one of them. More warm feelings seem to rise in me because of how every one from all walks of life embraced each other. This year, in my opinion, more so than at the past two festivals I attended, there was more involvement from the teenagers and other members of the Winstfin-Salem community. Teenagers from the city and the renowned Carver High School sat around outside the Adam's Mark/Marriott Hotel mingling with the "out-of-town" kids, and many sat around the lobby, just inhaling the atmosphere and becoming a part of the ambience. Who knows, one day, this experience may produce young actors, playwrights, or producers. Because of this festival, whether they actually saw a play or not, they know it's possible, and that's enough to plant a dream. An especially beautiful sight were the Campers - they looked to be between 5 and 7 years old - lined up outside the host hotel in their yellow camper T-shirts wait ing to go in for one of the chil dren's activities. Absolutely noth ing can make me smile more than wiggling, prancing, unable-to stand-still kids in a line anxious to see what experience life will give them next. Also, knowing that the purple wizard had made sure it would be magical and special made me silently bless Sir Ham lin for thinking of everyone, young and old. Perhaps the most powerful lesson I learned from the people attending this festival was not to ever place boundaries on myself. There were people in their 80s" staying up to 2:30 am. reading plays and attending poetry read ings. There were old and younger people in wheelchairs, with canes and walkers having a ball. They, were in the midst of all activities. For me, they were role models. Like the kids, teenagers, celebri ties, worldly guests, and local, sophisticates and observers, they didn't want to miss this special time in the midst of creativity and culture, where all senses were heightened. Disabilities and frail ties be damned they wanted to sail on this ship and if they could live with these "problems" at home,' they could five with them here. 1 felt a deep, reverent respect. . In the end, I left the festival two days early. Initially, 1 started to change my plans and stiy longer. However, on the first night, I attended the wonderful gala and saw the legendary Ruby Dee, among others, and expert-, enced my only disappointment of the festival, the cutting short of "The Jackie Wilson Story." 1\vo , evenings earlier, I had seen the ', thoroughly entertaining "Freeda Peoples" and shared a table with blues diva Linda Hopkins. , One night earlier, I had, shopped and bought things from vendors I could never find any where else; had experienced the , brilliance of Daniel Beaty in the , play "Emergence-SEE!", a phe nomenon that surely has miles to , rise; and had traveled to the veiy , edge of intimacy (oi to some, decency) with the "3 Blacque Chix: 'Herotica'." In actuality, I, had to exit prematurely because my older sister couldn't stand the "heat." And I couldn't stop laugh ing at her modesty. In addition, over my three l days there, I visited with very , special friends, encountered a stu dent I taught eight years ago who is now grown, beautiful and suc cessful, and shared quality time with my daughter, who "will leave home for her freshman year at UNC Chapel Hill in three weeks. 1 decided I was way past sensory overload and perhaps I should stop and savor the experience. I know there were more peo ple to meet, plays to see, restau rants and art shops and vendors to visit, but I didn't want to risk the magic I had experienced. I didn't want to see people packing up and suitcases lining the lobby. I didn't want to see the convention hall cleared and people striking sets. I wanted to winsomely sail away before Winston-Salem became Winston-Salem again. I felt satisfied. Bernadine M. Duncan, a native of Greensboro, teaches journalism at a high school in Vtrgina Beach, Va.
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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