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Tuesday, February 8, 2005
On Friday, February 11, from 5 to 9 p.m., the students at the Paul Robeson Academy will take you back in time to the beginning of the first ‘Civil Rights’ movement as they recreate the underground railroad experience.
Dressed in costume and fully ‘in character,’ through a series of short skits and an interactive ‘escape,’ the students will draw you into the hardships and the triumphs of the slaves who never escaped, and the fugitive slaves bent on reaching the north….reaching freedom. The skits cover the horror of slavery in general; portray famous escapes like Henry 'Box' Brown the slave who was shipped to Philadelphia freedom; the manner in which the legal system was misused to try to insure the perpetual enslavement of Black people; the tireless efforts of both White and Black abolitionists and more.
Each skit will be presented in a different classroom and visitors move from room to room...like going from station to station on the 'underground railroad.' Outside of the school, visitors will experience what fugitive slaves had to go through as they ran terrified through the night, maybe with no stars to guide them, with dogs on their heels, always moving north.
The moving and informative underground railroad trip concludes at the concession stand and Scholastic Book Fair sales area which has been dubbed 'Canada.' There you’ll be able to purchase refreshments, souvenirs, and maybe a book for yourself and one for a library in one of the classrooms. This walk with history is the product of Patricia Stevenson, Bonnie Gardner and the rest of the school's Fine Arts Department.
Come out and support this fantastic tribute to Black History by spending an hour or so steeped in its meaning. It is a true family event with ticket prices at only $3 for adults, $2.00 for students age 5 to17 and just $1.00 for children 4 and younger. The Paul Robeson Academy is located at 2701 Fenkell. Call 494-8100 for more information. Remember, Black History is everyone’s history.
