Road Scholar News
An Evening of Firsts on Martha's Vineyard
The “Taste of Road Scholar” event on Tuesday, August 17, 2010 was a culmination of historic “firsts” for the African American community on Martha’s Vineyard. Geoffrey Fletcher, the first African American Academy Award-Winner in the Best Adapted Screenplay category, and keynote speaker at the Taste program, was introduced bythe Honorable Sharon Pratt, the first African American female mayor of Washington D.C., at the historic Shearer Cottage, the first site dedicated on the African American Heritage Trail on Martha’s Vineyard.
Following introductory remarks by Kathy Taylor, Associate Vice President of Community Development at Road Scholar, Marita Rivero, WGBH Vice President and General Manager for Radio and Television, shared the significance of cultivating the African American influence within artistic and cultural mediums, particularly behind the scenes where diverse individuals “are using their skills to create complex worlds and expressing those worlds to us through their talents.” Sharon Pratt segued into a brief history of African Americans in the Academy Awards, paying homage to Hattie McDaniel, the first African American to win an Academy Award, and the milestone wins thereafter.
The standing-room only audience engaged in a lively question and answer session with Mr. Fletcher, primarily regarding his critically acclaimed and award-winning adapted screenplay for the film “Precious.” Mr. Fletcher shared that a quality film requires inspiration, a guiding vision, passion, and an inherent truth which “cannot be faked or manufactured.” Mr. Fletcher concluded the evening by challenging future filmmakers to expand the variety of experiences and stories expressed through film, weaving universal themes into the framework of the human experience.
African Ancestry comes to Boston
As part of their “We Are Africa Road Tour,” African Ancestry hosted an event at Road Scholar headquarters in Boston in August. Dozens of participants came to learn how to trace their roots to Africa through their DNA. “Being here has started me on my journey, looking into my family’s past,” one participant noted “and I am inspired to delve further.”
Announcing Winners From the DC Urban League Conference
Road Scholar sponsored a raffle at the recent DC Urban League Conference. This winner was Dr. Beverly Mitchell-Brooks from Dallas, Texas. Dr. Mitchell-Brooks is the President & CEO of the Urban League of Greater Dallas and Northern Central Texas.