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An Unforgettable Tribute to African American History
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The sixteenth Annual African-American Celebration was held at Brooklyn Friends School on May 14. The theme this year was a Tribute to the Great Migration, which was inspired by Isabel Wilkerson’s Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Warmth of Other Suns. In this book, the author chronicles the migration northward of southern Blacks from the nineteen twenties up to 1970.
The celebration began with a southern soul food luncheon. Fried chicken, oxtails, blackened catfish, collared greens and macaroni and cheese were just a few of the wonderful dishes offered. After this incredible repast, the program began. The eloquent mistress of ceremonies was BFS parent Alisa Martin Granderson, who spoke movingly of the contributions of those corageous pioneers who made the arduous trek to the cities of the north and west.
Dr. Larry Weiss welcomed the assembled and after a moment of silence, the Negro National Anthem, Lift Every Voice and Sing rang throughout the meetinghouse. Jumoke McDuffie-Thurmond ‘15 read his Scholastic national gold key essay, “Letter to a Slavemaster” to great acclaim. In his essay, Jumoke expressed his outrage and disdain at his ancestor’s capture and enslavement and his feelings of outrage at their barbaric treatment. It was a stirring work of pride and defiance and a stinging rebuke of the oppression of centuries of injustice. He received a standing ovation.
Jumoke was followed by teacher Vanessa Aird, who performed a spirited dance solo to the moving spiritual, Amazing Grace. The Panthers Supreme Dance Team moved energetically and with extraordinary verve and grace to the song, This Little Light of Mine. This was followed by readings from parents Orinthia Swindell, Deborah Boyce and Raphael Davis, who read from the works of Langston Hughes and Helene Johnson.
The main event was the performance by the Harlem Blues and Jazz Band. These veteran musicians, with a median age in their mid eighties, have a combined 500 years of experience. The oldest member, tenor saxaphonist Fred Staton is a respectable ninety six years young.
They took the audience on a musical journey from the nineteen twenties with “Just a Closer Walk with Thee” up to the seventies, in which they took old classics and gave them an invigorating spin. The audience was brought to its feet by the powerhouse vocals of Ruth Brisbane and her sensuous yet tasteful renditions of many great jazz classics.
These talented musical performers showed how the African -American music had evolved and changed over the decades. It was a wonderful way to get a first rate musical education. This orchestra's mission of keeping jazz alive also ensures that these great sidemen keep working and are not forgotten. They are a resounding triumph of class, refinement and musical genius. For the fortunate audience members who were in attendance, it was an afternoon of thrilling music and vibrant performances, which many will cherish for many years to come. -- Larry Williams
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Celebrating "The Great Migration"
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The theme of the 2011 African American Celebration at Brooklyn Friends School is "The Great Migration."  From 1915-1970, African-Americans living in southern states moved north and west to escape stifling Jim Crow laws, the sharecropping system, and the threat of lynching. As they moved, they influenced American culture. Our literature, music, visual art and sense of style were forever changed by the newcomers and their descendants. Parents and families are encouraged to attend a Book Discussion on Thursday February 10th of Isabel Wilkerson's best seller, "The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration." 6 to 8 pm in the BFS Meetinghouse.
T-Shirts will be sold (with the design at left) and the cost is $15.
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