Saturday, March 15
10 am – 2pm
The St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation host the annual RAISE A READER BOOKFAIR & YOUTH TALENT SHOWCASE on Saturday, March 15, 2008 from 10 am – 2 pm at the Hayti Heritage Center, 804 Old Fayetteville Street, Durham. This annual event is presented as a family day with educational and entertaining activities for all ages to enjoy together, while emphasizing Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s. legacy of the power of education and spiritual enrichment. The event was rescheduled due to inclement weather on the annual MLK weekend in January. This program illustrates the importance of our Youth in the continual struggle for racial harmony. Designed to promote literacy, area book vendors will have an array of books available for purchase and book signing opportunities. This is an excellent opportunity to add a book to your child’s library.
The formal program will begin at 10 am in the St. Joseph’s Performance Hall. Featured artists for the day include:
William & Miles Rabun authors of ‘My Grandma’s BackYard’. William and Miles visit their grandmother every summer for fun and family time. The summer of 2006, however, was significantly different from others- it was the time when precocious youngsters wrote a fun-filled tale about their grandmother’s backyard, and turned it into their first published book. My Grandma’s Backyard explores the many favorite things that William and Miles enjoy doing.
DWe Williams and Loretta Cooke Ford co-authors of ‘Bridget Biddy Mason: A Walking Sensation’. DWe is a national touring artist and storyteller. She will perform some of her most recent works including the story of Bridget Biddy Mason. DWe resides in Oklahoma but is a native of Durham, North Carolina; a graduate of Durham High School and NCA&T State University. She also holds a Master’s degree in Speech and Theatre from SIU – Carbondale with a focus on Creative Drama and Children’s Theatre. DWe is a popular storyteller who weaves stories for the enjoyment and education of her audiences. Williams appears in libraries, schools, festivals, community events and conferences. She is well known for the use of drama in integrated curriculum and cultural awareness. A storytelling with Williams is not complete without poetry and song. “Come join the story circle�.
Both authors will be signing their book during the day’s activities. Biddy Mason takes you on a historic journey through the eyes of a curious child. Biddy Mason was born a slave in 1818 in Mississippi. Robert and Rebecca Smith owned Biddy. The Smiths moved to California taking Biddy and her girls along. This was a mistake for the Smiths and a blessing for Biddy Mason.
Additional performers include the St. Paul Passion Praise Dancers under the direction of Sister Wanda Weaver, local solo artists Promise Woodyand an area children’s choir; The Carolina Dance Theater Project (young Hip Hop Dancers), and Joyful Noise a drum chore from Fayetteville Street School . During the day the St, Joseph’s Historic Foundation will give a-way books to young people with donations from the book vendors on site. These vendors are Oni Books (Fayetteville), The Know Bookstore (Durham), ABDeb Books & Gifts (Knightdale) and The Black Dollar Store (Henderson).
From 11am – 12:00 pm SEE SAW STUDIOS will offer a workshop for young people ages 8 and above. Youth Journal MakingWorkshop is a thirty minute workshop that will teach youth how to assemble a basic writing journal from natural and found materials. It is limited to 20 participants and FREE- call the Hayti Heritage Center to reserve your space. For information call (919) 794-8213 or www.seesawstudio.org.
From 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm a hands-on workshop titled DREAM KEEPERS: A Puppet Making Workshopfacilitated by Usha Raj. Raj is a storyteller, puppet maker, painter and multi-cultural specialist and owner of Creative Expressions. She is a 2008 Emerging Artist Grant Award recipient for Visual Arts from the Durham Arts Council. This workshop is for children 8 and above and limited to 20 participants from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm. Make your own Dream Keeper PUPPET and bring it to life by whispering your dreams. Create a beautiful hand made puppet in the positive image of your self. weaving in the theme of respect for oneself, the community and the planet as a whole, Participants will ask themselves who is that positive you inside, Like Dr. King, what makes you special and stand out as you share your strengths with the community? How can you see the entire planet as one Global Village and honor it? Only natural, bio-degradable materials will be used. Come make your Dream Keeper and share a beautiful part of yourself with the community on stage! Please call to reserve a space for your child.
This program is sponsored by St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, Inc. and funded in part by the City of Durham, North Carolina Arts Council, Durham Merchants Association Charitable Foundation and private contributors. The Foundation operates the Hayti Heritage Center. Mission: The St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, Inc. (SJHF) founded in 1975, is an African American cultural and educational institution deeply rooted in the historic Hayti community of Durham, North Carolina. SJHF is dedicated to advancing cultural understanding through diverse programs that examine the experiences of Americans of African descent – locally, nationally and globally. The Foundation is committed to preserving, restoring and developing the Hayti Heritage Center, the former St. Joseph’s AME Church, a National Historic Landmark, as a cultural and economic anchor to the greater Durham community.
For more information call (919) 683-1709.
