Ashley Hunter
ECB Publishing, Inc.
The history of African-Americans was recognized and honored at a Black History Month presentation on Saturday, Feb. 22.
The presentation was titled “The Black Migration,” and included several dramatizations, dancing, singing and prayers from local and visiting historians and performers.
The program began at 6 p.m. with a welcome, followed by a prayer and song.
Taking stage as the evening's first historical performance was Anelsa, the author of Colored Girl (an autobiographical collection of memoirs and reflections) as well as a dramatist and reenactor who visited Monticello from Apopka, Fla.
Anelsa portrayed abolitionist Sojourner Truth and transported the audience back to the past as she recited Truth's famous “Ain't I A Woman” speech.
After everyone had enjoyed and applauded Anelsa's portrayal of Sojourner Truth, she was followed onto the stage by an equally enchanting group of young performers.
The Graceful Movement dancers are a group of young girls who came together in order to dance expressively for the Black History event. The five girls had volunteered to dance and during their on-stage show, they danced to the music of “Wade in the Water” - a song that historically had been used to warn escaping slaves to go into the water in order to hide the scent of their trail from tracking hounds.
The dance was choreographed by Monticello native, Laurenda Strowbridge.
The five girls, Majesty Day, Milan Noble, Destiny Seaton, Samiah Washington and Nyla Jones, range in age from seven to 15 and chose to name themselves “Graceful Movement” in honor of the way they felt about the experience of coming together to perform, dance and show positivity within the community.
After the girls had danced and been congratulated on their beautiful performance, Anelsa returned to portray a character of her own creation – a young African-American woman who reminded the audience of the struggles that her people had faced throughout the years.
The evening was filled with several other remarkable performances, such as the acapella rendition of “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” by Jacqueline Seabrooks, Ann Herring and Franklin Brooks; black history trivia hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Franklin Brooks; and a group performance of “Lift Every Voice” which gathered the entire audience together in song.
The event was held at the Jefferson County Kilpatrick Auditorium on South Water Street, and hosted by the Jefferson Teen Center and Perceptions Consulting.
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