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Metro Celebrates Black History Month 2003
In Honor of Black History Month 2003, Metro International arranged two special student programs this February: An Afternoon at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and Community Visit: Celebrating African American Heritage in Bushwick Brooklyn
An Afternoon at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
On Friday, February 21, 2003, Metro International escorted Fulbright students & scholars representing 9 countries (Cameroon, China, Germany, Japan, Latvia, Poland, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and Vietnam) on an afternoon visit to the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Participants were hosted in the American Negro Theater, the stage once graced by Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, and Harry Belafonte at the beginnings of their careers, which the Schomburg Center now uses for meetings and forums.
Howard Dodson, Chief of the Center, welcomed the Metro group and introduced the Schomburg's history and facilities. Dr. Colin Palmer, head of the Schomburg's Scholars-In-Residence program, then offered an overview of this aspect of the center. Four of the scholars in residence at the center joined the Fulbrighters for the discussion. Winston Kennedy, Professor Emeritus at Howard University and one of these Scholars-In-Residence, gave a thought-provoking slide presentation of his research on images of African-American males as they appear in the work of turn-of-the-century Black American printmakers.
During the ensuing Q&A session, a Fulbright student from Cameroon posed a question regarding the difference in the status of African-Americans as portrayed in the media that reaches his home country, and as he has seen during his first six months in the US. This comment transformed the discussion into a productive and candid conversation both about race and class relations, and the impressions of the international students and scholars as they view the US with fresh eyes.
After the discussion, a Schomburg Center docent led the group through the exhibition: The Art of African Women: Empowering Traditions.
Community Visit: Celebrating African American Heritage in Bushwick Brooklyn
On Saturday & Sunday, February 22-23, families from the St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Bushwick opened their hearts & homes to international students from around the world for a two-day cultural and educational exchange experience. This year's program marked the fifth anniversary of this one-of-a-kind community visit and boasted the largest student group yet with nearly 20 participants representing six countries (Canada, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Trinidad & Tobago, and the United Kingdom), hosted by 16 families from the St. Thomas community.
In addition to sharing in African-American family life during an overnight stay in homes, participants visited the Arts of Africa Galleries at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, attended an African Drumming performance featuring a local artist, and joined members of the St. Thomas congregation for a Sunday church service. Following the Sunday morning service, the international students and congregation participated in a celebration of world cultures featuring food, music and fellowship.
Metro's Bushwick Community Visit is designed to go beyond stereotypes, and to provide participants with an experience rich in family, religion, food, music, and most of all, friendship. At the same time, Bushwick residents have the opportunity to engage in a dialogue with international students, who are the future leaders of their home countries, and to help shape positive attitudes toward our city and our country, which the students will carry with them when they return home.
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