Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Culture Keepers Travel to Brazil!



















Mural Unveiling!



Mural Design on Computer
Mural Unveiling and Panel Discussion


Claudenie Da Silva (Teaching Artist) assists in painting mural in U.S.

Students from Brazil and U.S. painting mural at Suitland High School

Kendeley de Oliveira (Student from Brazil) Speaks at Mural Unveiling


Mural Unveiling Ceremony


 A 40 foot mural celebrating the African Diaspora was unveiled in at Suitland High School, in Prince George’s County, Maryland.  Students from Prince George’s County and students from Sao Paulo, Brazil worked with artists and museum professionals to create the mural. The mural depicts the Brazilian and U.S. Flags, African textiles and symbols, and 3-d cutouts of young people walking throughout the mural.  In the center is a young woman looking upward, who is adorned in West African symbols. The mural depicts Brazil’s and the U.S. shared connection to African heritage. 

The event was an epic night of dynamic performances, student presentations, and motivational speakers. During the unveiling celebration, Suitland High School Center for Performing Arts department showcased dance and theatre performances.  The theatre performance was “A People Could Fly”, an African American folklore about a group of enslaved people flying away to freedom.  The dance performance was based on gospel and African dance and music.  The performances were very moving and artistically portrayed African American history. 

Guest speakers included Bisa Williams, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs, Segun Eubanks, President for the Prince George’s County Board of Education, Dr. Jacqueline Brown, Executive Director of the Prince George’s African American Museum, and Prince George’s County Councilwoman Karen Toles.  Bisa Williams gave a motivational speech that she spoke in both English and Portuguese, encouraging students to be global ambassadors and to continue to enact change in the world. 

As the performances ended, the mural was lowered from the stage and everyone gasped with wonder, and shortly after led with a round of applause. What made the night more significant was that the U.S. and Brazilian project participants were there together to share in this special moment.  Together, they shared with the audience not only the mural that they produced but how this cultural exchange changed and broaden their view of themselves and the world around them.  
Alexandra Maria Da Silva, a student at Antonio Sampaio High School, said the cultural exchange program led her on a journey of self-discovery and gave her an awareness of other cultures. “When I think about this project, I want to help people discover themselves like me,” she said. “Who you are in the world, you know, it’s very important. It’s very important to know where you’re from.
Bryanna Rather, a student at Suitland High School said that she could definitely relate with the students from Brazil because she too had never left the country.  “It was so amazing to connect with my culture but to also see connections with Afro Brazilian culture too.  We learned so much in Brazil and while our Brazilian friends were in the U.S.  We learned about the Civil Rights Movements in the U.S., the real history behind Emancipation Proclamation, and how discrimination has impacted U.S. society.  The mural was great because it brought people together and was so much fun to make. I hope to do these types of cultural exchanges again and I am very eager to share what I have learned!”

Chanel Compton, PGAAMCC Director of Education stated, “This has been such a transformative project for all involved.  The mural is a product of a lot of hard work and the connections that were made between both groups from the U.S. and Brazil.  These types of collaborations strengthen the dialogue between both countries in relation to the African Diaspora. Brazil and the U.S.  have so much in common in relation to Black social and cultural movements and it was amazing to have our youth connect with that history and to each other.”

The mural is entitled “Walking with Purpose”. The theme and title of the mural came from a saying that chaperones would tell students during their travels, “Students…Walk with Purpose”, meaning while we are together in a group to never stray away and to always walk with determination to your destination.  While in the mural design workshops, U.S. students internalized the meaning in a deeper way.  They discussed that the phrase had a deeper meaning; that in life you must always walk with determination to your dreams.  Also, through knowing and appreciating your history and culture, you will walk stronger.  The mural will be installed at the Prince George’s County Public School Administration Office for high visibility and public view.   


Project Background Information:
The Prince George's African American Museum & Cultural Center (PGAAMCC) in North Brentwood, MD and the Museu Afro-Brasil in Sao Paulo, Brazil were awarded the 2013 Museums Connect Grant to implement an innovative youth project, “A Journey Through the African Diaspora”. Both museums recruited youth, teachers, and artists from PGAAMCC’s after school program at Suitland High School, Culture Keepers, and students from the after school program Onarin Koja from EMEFM Vereador Antonio Sampaio, Municipal School of Elementary and High School in Sao Paulo.  
Through field trips and interactive workshops, students and faculty in both countries explored the local history of slavery and how local communities/groups who were enslaved resisted and gained their freedom.  They learned what life was like after emancipation; how these communities/groups developed economically, academically, culturally, politically, and socially in both respective countries.  Prior to travel, Students shared information and research virtually through video conferencing, social media, blogs, and project website.  Students also created artwork that reflected their research and cultural explorations. 
In April and May 2014, participants finally visited each other’s countries for full cultural immersion.  Most of the students and some faculty had never traveled abroad, so they were very excited and honored with the opportunity. In April, U.S. participants traveled to Brazil and in May Brazil participants traveled to the U.S. While in the U.S., both youth groups visited sites such as the Prince George’s African American Museum, American History Museums’ Emancipation and Civil Rights exhibits, the African American Civil War Museum, oral history testimonial from Jeremiah Hawkins who shared the history of his great great grandfather who was enslaved at the Riversdale Estate in Prince George’s County, and students also visited and toured the estate.  While learning the history of the Emancipation Proclamation leading up to the Civil Rights Bill of 1964, participants toured the Lincoln Memorial and the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial. Students learned the history of the memorial sites and how these sites symbolize peace and social justice movements in the United States. It was a memorable experience for all involved.