2/8/2010 11:44:00 PM ERAU to host 'Black Women Walking' event Feb. 18
"Black Women Walking" is a one-act play spotlighting the achievements of 11 notable African-American women.
Special to the Courier
PRESCOTT - In celebration of Black History Month, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Seek First Entertainment are presenting "Black Women Walking" at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18, at the Davis Learning Center Auditorium.
The event is free and open to the public.
"Black Women Walking" is a one-act play spotlighting the achievements of 11 notable African-American women.
Looking into the living room of three friends, the audience will be able to reach back in time to Sojourner Truth, Marian Anderson, Fannie Lou Hamer and other Black heroines of history and witness the courage, character and brilliance of these women who impacted the American landscape with their powerful journeys toward freedom, justice and equality.
"Black Women Walking" also features lesser-known historical figures, such as Mary McLeod Bethune, Zora Neale Hurston and Willie Mae Ford Smith - women who did not necessarily make it into the history books, but much like their better-known counterparts, were God-fearing women who triumphed over great obstacles through their perseverance and spirituality.
The women of "Black Women Walking" include:
• Sojourner Truth-an African-American abolitionist and women's rights activist who traveled the country preaching and helping freed slaves.
• Harriet Tubman-called Moses by those she helped escape. Tubman was an instrumental part of the Underground Railroad. She helped free countless numbers of slaves, working as a spy during the Civil War. She made 19 missions to free captives.
• Mary McLeod Bethune-a teacher considered one of the greatest educators in the United States and a powerful champion of racial equality.
• Zora Neale Hurston-an American writer who found fame during the Harlem Renaissance. Her most famous novel was "Their Eyes Were Watching God."
• Bess Coleman-a pioneering aviator who fought the odds and became the world's first African-American pilot.
• Marian Anderson-an opera singer well known for her operatic voice and her moving spirituals. Fighting racism her whole life, she was honored with many prestigious awards.
• Willie Mae Ford Smith-one of the most legendary gospel vocalists of her time.
• Sister Elizabeth-In 1808, "Old Elizabeth" became the first African-American woman to preach.
• Fannie Lou Hamer-an American voting rights activist and a civil rights leader.
• Rosa Parks-became famous for refusing to give up her seat on a bus. This action started the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which was a major movement against racial segregation.
• Wilma Rudolph-the first African-American woman to win three gold medals in the Olympics, becoming one of the most celebrated female athletes of all time.
Additional information is available by contacting Dr. Nancy Lawrence, associate professor, at (928) 777-3885 or email nancy.lawrence@erau.edu.
