Newspaper Page Text
The Augusta News - Review February 2,1985
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“There are facts and there are
truths. Facts, of times, obscure
the truth.’’ So notes famed
author, poet, dancer and producer
Maya Angelou, who is featured in
the one-hour special “And Still 1
Rise: Maya Angelou,’’ premiering
Feb. 3, at 10 p.m. (ET) on PBS.
Produced by The Univeristy of
North Carolina Center for Public
Television, the program was taped
at the writer's home in Winston-
Salem. North Carolina. “And
Still I Rise: Maya Angelou” jux
taposes Angelou's views with those
of her interviewer, historian Nell
Painter. The two met in Ghana in
1964, Painter a recent college
graduate and Angelou the feature
editor of Accra’s “The African
Review.” Newsreel footage
creates a context for conversation
Ray Parker Jr. buys
ANDERSON,S.C.—If there is
any one thing most will remember
about the summer of 84 it will
probably be the “ghostbusters”
rave which began with a hit movie
and continued with a hit song by
the same name.
Ray Parker. Jr., the singer of
that popular tune and star of the
“Ghostbuster” video, purchased a
185 acre farm in Abbeville County
near Calhoun Falls a few weeks
ago.
The property, located on Hwy.
?2, was sold for ap
proximately SIOO,OOO, according
to the Anderson real estate firm
which handled the transcation. It is
■ ; i' w I
|b&i
Phillip E. Walker
‘Can I Speak For You Brother?'
to appear at USC Aiken
As one slop in a Lry
whiriwmd tour. Saz Francisco’s
African Amencaz Drama Co. of
California ■ AADO brings its
producnor of Can I Spear For
You Brother? to USC-Aiket on
Feb. 2. Presented by the Minority
Affairs Organization, this play will
ne performed m the gymnasium a:
7 pun. The performance and ac
companying activities highlight
1985 s Biack History month
The show combines dance,
poetry. drama, letters., storytelling,
puppetry. speeches, and music to
pitsen: a chronology of Black
leaders m America. Entertaining,
mftv-mauve and mspiranona.. the
production hignngnts suet ex
traordinary leaders as Booker T.
Washington, WJE.B. Dnßois,
Fredrick Douglass. Maicoim X.
and Manin Luther King Jr.
Having toured to half of the
states in the U 3. since 15P9. Can I
Maya Angelou
between the two women who,
despite differences in age,
discipline and viewpoint,
nonetheless share common ideals
and mutual affection.
.Angelou’s flow of powerful in
sights is evident throughout the ex
change. She finds we are all
“tragically alone” in even - aspect
of existence, and “In that sense we
are always strangers. In that sense
we are striving, if we have enough
energy and insight, striving to get
close.”
One of Angelou’s subsequent
resolutions is not to “allow anyone
to narrow the tunnel of my life.”
She admits “The thing I am learning
at this last stage, is that finally is is
your work... That is your commit
ment to your Maker, it seems to
me.”
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uz’TW
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■-- ■- ■
Ray Parker Jr.
adjacent to the property of county
resident Al Johnson, and also near
ppeak For You Brother? will
execute the largest Black owned
theatre tour in .America this win
ter The company is I eat urea in the
Agency for Instructional
Television series ‘ .Arts Alive”
which will air nationwide and
Canada.
Can I Speak For You Brother? is
performed by Phillip E Walker,
who has played in numerous
television and screen movie roles.
A reapemt of two master's degrees
including the M.F.A. in acting.
Walker toured with the San Fran
cisco Mime Troup and has per
formed in plays, including Sow
Dance on the Killing Ground, The
.Amen Corner, and Ceremonies in
Dark Old Men Phillip served for
nearh three vears as touring coor
dinator tor me canrorma .vis
Council.
Admission is S 3. Under age 6
free.
Page 2
I
. v.
NOTED AUTHOR Maya Angelou exudes her charac*
teristic joi de vivre in the special “And Stil I Rise :Maya
Angelou.” This production of the University of North
Carolina Center for Public Television airs Sunday,
February 3,10 p.m. (ET).
Angelou’s commitment to her
race and her nation are no less
vehement. “The potential in this
country' is so great that it makes me
tremble and weep to see it go
awry.” Coincident with these bit
tersweet reflections are
exhilarating expectations: “The
potential is so great. Suppose we
were living at one-tenth of our
potential as a nation. My God,
what would we be?”
The hope Angelou expresses ex
tends to every viewer. “I know
that in my w ork and in my life I do
encourage people to be bodacious
enough to invent their own lives
evety day.” She spoke candidly
with Painter on the rewards of
fame, revealing that “The real
payment is that people enjoy and
themselves are made larger.”
farm in Anderson
‘And Still I Rise:
Maya Angelou ’
to premiere on PBS
a farm owned by Boston Johnson
of North Augusta, S.C., both who
happen to be Parker’s first cousins.
Al Johnson, the agent, stated
that he discussed the purchase of
the property with Parker at a
family gathering they both atten
ded in Detroit this past November.
A few days after the conversation
took place, Parker called Johnson
and asked him to purchase the
property, Johnson said.
The property was purchased
from the estate of Hoyt Sorrows
and has one small farmhouse on it.
Other structures there include
several old barns and some small
Augusta Mini Theatre to
offer acting workshop
From Feb. 4 thru Feb. 10, the
Augusta Mini Theatre will have an
acting workshop for drama
students who are presently enrolled
in the Mini Theatre. The
workshop will consist of speech
Rise Collins
Girl Scout Council introduces new theme for 1985 cookie sale
The Central Savannah River
Girl Scout Council introduces a
new theme for the 1985 Cookie
Sale ‘‘The Cookies that make
dreams come true" was created to
emphasize the vital importance of
the contribution people make to
Girl Scouting every time they buy a
box of the great lasting cookies.
“And Still 1 Rise: Maya
Angelou” is more than documen
tary, being the interaction of
women with mutual admiration
and respect. Angelou predicts that
Painter will respond in the future
to a questioner as she has respon
ded to Painter. Angelou’s words
prefigure many viewers’ responses
to herself, as well: “You will not
be critical. You will understand
and you will love her because you
see the truths behind the facts.”
“And Still I Rise: Maya
Angelou” was produced by Steve
Channing and directed by John
Wise. The Executive in Charge of
Production was Bob Royster. The
program is presented with closed
captions, and transcripts may be
obtained by writing: PTV
Publications, P.O. Box 701, Kent,
Ohio 44240 (Transcripts: $4.00)
slave houses, according to the An
derson realtors.
Abbeville attorney Thomas E.
Hite, who represents the Mims
family of Abbeville, who are
realitives of the Johnsons and
Parker, closed the sale.
Hite said he met the Johnsons
through the Mims family and was
pleased to take part in the transac
tion. Hite said although there is a
small home on the property, be felt
Parker purchased the property as
an investment.
It is expected that the entertainer
will be visiting the area, but no
dates have been set.
exercises, theatre games, building
character acting techniques and
performance-demonstration. The
workshop will be conducted by
Rise Collins.
Ms. Collins will be presented in
“A One Woman Performance
Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m. and again at 3
p.m. on Feb. 10 in the Paine
College Odeum. She will dramatize
the works from the play “For
Colored Girls V>ho Have Con
sidered Suicide When The Rainbow
is Enuf”. Langston Hughes and
others.
Children (up to age 12) are
* elcome to attend Ms. Collins per
formances but may find some of
the language difficult to under
stand. Tickets are on sale at the
Mini Theatre, 430 Sth St. Ad
mission is $4 adults, $3 students,
$2 senior citizens and $2 per
student in a group of ten or more.
Interested persons should call the
Mini Theatre at 722-0598 for ad
ditional information.
This year’s Cookie Sale starts
January 25th and runs through
March 24th. It’s the only tune ydiJ
can buy grrat-tasting cookies like
shortbread Trefoilsfjust 24 calories
each), Thin Mints, Samoas,
Chocolate Chunks and more.
Giri Scout cookies are made
with 100 percent vegetable shor-
Growing In
On mother and (laughter
By Cynthia Butler Omololu
Dear Mom,
How are you? I hope that
everything is going well for you. I
.am doing Jinn.
I’m in tenth
position in my
class.
Momma, \
am writing fori
two reasons.
First, I want to
say hello to
you and make you happy. Second,
I want to ask you if we may spend
two weeks of our summer holiday
in England. I know you’re going to
say that there are children who go
to school without shoes and that I
should be more concerned about
others.
But Mom, I am concerned about
others. When I stand on our
balcony and watch little Black
children with no shoes and ragged
clothes, my heart ‘lurches’ or is
‘pains’ the most appropriate
word? Circle the correct word
Mom. I know how important the
correct word is to you.
The issue of being concerned for
the “unfortuness” of others is an
internal one. I am concerned, but
all of my friends go to England
every year. It’s important that I
have something in common with
them. That is very important to
me.
I know you’ll say that I went to
Spain last year. Thanks Mom. I
really enjoyed it. The flamingo
dancers were excellent. They were
all so graceful and professional. I
don’t mean the internal ‘grace’ in
the Bible but the physical grace.
Dad did raise my doubts when
refused to go with us because he
didn’t want to watch a bunch of
prostitutes shaking and kicking
their thighs and heels. I gather that
he did not believe that these women
had any grace.
Oh, never mind. May we go
mother dearest? I know that you
work hard very hard for your
money. I am most appreciative. In
fact, it goes further than that, I am
Grateful!.
In fact, I meant to thank you
very much for writing me every
week. I really appreciate it. In fact,
my friends stand in line to read
your letters. After reading them,
we all go promptly and read the
verses in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes
that you assign in the Living Bible.
Admittedly, it is not easy to keep
up with my assignments in school
and your assignments, but I do
because I know that you’re really
trying to be a good nuturing
mother, and Mom, you are. I
really am not ready to be a mother.
Don’t depend on me for gran
dchildren. If you want to be
around children in your old age, go
ahead and have one this year
before it is too late. I promise, I
won’t be jealous, I’ll be happy for
you.
May we go to England, Mom?
Please say yes. It means so much.
Your Only daughter
Anne
Darling Daughter,
Thanks so much for writing me.
It brightens my day.
Congratulations on tenth position
in your class. You know I’ve
always said that you are expected
to do your best. I want you to learn
to compete with yourself and if
you are satisfied at the end of that,
then my love, your mother is
delighted.
About England, I am pleased
that you know my arguments, you
have been listening. It is so hard
for me to teach you values, morals,
and a philosophy of life with you
in a boarding school. You have
practically lived there since you
were eleven years old. Many of
your friends have been there since
the age of ten years old. Heavens
only knows what happens there.
So I try to have my input by
having you read the Bible. It might
appear static and staid to you now,
but one day you will face
tening, no preservatives, natural
chocolate, real peppermint and
toasted coconut.
Now more than ever. Girl Scout
activiteis depend on the proceeds
from this annual sale. These
proceeds, plus allocations from the
United Way, make many learning
and growing opportunities
problems. The Bible will be a
trememdous source of strenght for
you. It will teach you that the
only security in life for you, love, is
hidden within you. I know you will
find it. Since I am not with you,
then I must find creative ways to
nurture you from a uistance. I
choose the Bible. I do hope you
read it. Encourage your friends.
It is true. Visiting England does
give you something to talk about
with your friends. Your education
also helps.
It is indeed a sacrifice that we
are all making to have you so far
from home. I can never express the
feelings that I had when you repor
ted that a soldier stopped the bus
load of girls on. their way to school
because he said that one of you
stuck your tongue out at him. One
whole hour. It was God who sent
someone along to rescue you.
Yet, I had to send you back 600
kilometers over that same road
because of proper education.
You, a southern girl, are in
school in the North. Knowing the
political problems that exist in that
country between the North and the
South and the precasrious position
you would be in if another scuffle
broke out is unsettling at time.
Your reports of men breaking
into the girls’ dorms discourages
me, and you sleep too deeply. I’ve
always said it.
But that is your country, how
much can I protect you? How
much can I protect me?
Yes, you are learning basic
lessons of life. I pray that you will
end up sane with common prac
tical survival skills.
Yes, Love we will go to England
this summer and perhaps Am
sterdam. My friends have said that
there is an exotic boat ride. I’d like
to tell them I rode it too.
But remember, I am saving half
of my salary each month so that we
can make the trip. If I lose my job,
there will not be any more trips,
but as long as I am working, my
friend, we are going to enjoy our
holidays.
Love
Mother
Dear Mom r
Thanks, You are more than
wonderful, and I really appreciate
the confidence and sacrifice that
you demonstrate.
And I am going to try to be
something when I grow up, which
will be a long time from now.
I don’t know what to be. I can’t
stand blood so that cancels out
medicine. I go beserk when I’m
around the mentally retarded and
or insane, so that cancels out
teaching, psychology, and cor
porations. Mom, I just don’t
know. What about a hairdresser or
a farmer? Can I be one of those?
I could have my little space andif
any man comes near me, I’ll kill
him I will not tolerate nonsense.
Who do these men think they are,
anyway? Don’t you worry, mom. I
am going to take care of myself.
The stealing is getting worse
Mom. They have stolen all of the
new things I bought in Spain last
summer. They broke the lock!?
Can you believe that in all girls
school, locks are being broken. I
just can’t imagine the type of
homes these girls come from.
Financially, they all have more
money than i do. they do all their
shopping in England. Their paren
ts send drivers in Rolls Royces’ and
Mercedes Benz to collect them. So
what is the problem, Mom? I just
don’t know if I want to stay here.
The two pair os socks that I use for
the year are gone... Vanished.
And it’s really such a long way
from home, what do you think,
Mom? Perhaps I can finish my
education in France or England. I
do believe that I would end up
refined and finished, you know
Mom... Yes, I have the word
‘polished.’
Please advise. Urgent.
Your only daughter,
Ann
possible. That’s why Girl Scout
cookies are the cookies that make
dreams come true.
If you are not contacted by a
Girl Scout but would like to pur
chase cookies please call the C.S.
R. Council office 738-3369, Mon
day through Friday for infor
mation