The Long Beach Freedom School is hosting two public events for parents and youth. The first, by storyteller Oba William King from the Chicago Association of Black Storytellers, will take place Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Starr Elementary School, 145 Artesia Blvd., Long Beach. The event will begin with Harambee, the traditional Freedom School way of starting the day, where students, staff, and the community sing chant, and celebrate. Following Harambee, King will begin his interactive method of storytelling, which engages audiences with tales and songs that celebrate diversity in America.
After the storytelling, King will present the poem “Girls Hold Up This World,” written by actress Jada Pinkett Smith, to offer words of wisdom to the young women in the audience. To empower the young men, King will give a special presentation titled, “Pull ’em Up.”
The second event, the Parent Empowerment Program Rally, will follow on Aug. 2 at 6 p.m. The rally will provide community connections, information, and encouragement for parents who seek to be more involved in their child’s daily learning processes.
While parents enjoy the information session, the children will participate in a workshop called “Stories, Songs, and Drama” with King, local musicians and freedom school volunteers. The workshop will culminate with a 30-minute performance presented to the parents and the community at 7 p.m. Both workshops and the performance will take place at The Prayer Center, 5239 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach.
To RSVP for either event, contact Paula Wood at (800) 791-5952 ext. 102.
