On Saturday, the City of Kissimmee hosted the African American Read-In, bringing the community together to recite authors and speakers in honor of Black History Month. The the purpose of the event was not only to remember black history, but to stay connected in the community in light of today’s trials and tribulations.
One of the readers, Vera Wilkerson, Communications Director for the NAACP, recited Amanda Goodman’s, “The Hill We Climb.”
“Growing up in Miami, there was a program in my school called, ‘The Theater Gibson program,’ it would allow students to speak and learn how to speak, and if you were really good at it, you would compete against different people.” Wilkerson said. “For some reason, every year, my name would be a part of the list of students who would compete. This was during middle school. That awkward part of the year where you’re still trying to identify who you are as part of this world. When I asked the teacher why my name was on the list, I find out it was my grandmother (for signing her up). When I asked my grandmother why, she said, 'There will be days like this where you would thank me for signing you up.'”
Candice Burrell recited Martin Luther King Jr’s infamous “I Have A Dream” speech.
“I’m reading this piece because I believe that the people in this room are going to take what I’m about to read and will take it outside of this room,” she said before reciting the speech. “It will push it in our churches, it will push it in our community, and it will push it in our homes. Sometimes we hear snippets and videos, but to actually read the words is different.”
Other readers reciting work such as “Still I Rise,” by Maya Angelou, and their own pieces of art, was a reflection of their personal work in the community.
As citizens in the community, it is crucial to stay connected in and out of the events hosted by the City of Kissimmee, so that the community can stay motivated to be involved and to spread the word throughout the community.
