March 3, 2006 Virginia Tech Conductor A GUIDE FOR OUR JOURNEY TOWARD EXCELLENCE, EQUITY AND EFFECTIVENESS A tribute to Dr. Giovanni hits NY Times best-seller list King, Jr. By Jean Elliott Hazel Rochman, of the American Library Association said in her by Takiyah Nur Amin © 2006 Rosa, written by Virginia Tech’s Nikki review, “The history comes clear in the astonishing combination of the “If I Can Help, Then Giovanni, rocketed to number three in the NY personal and the political.” My Living Will Times Children’s Book List in early February. Not Be In Vain…” Rosa, published by Henry Holt and Company Notes from Nikki… …and it’s like he never and vibrantly illustrated by Bryan Collier, tells In an early December interview with NPR’s Ed Gordon, Giovanni left us. the story of Rosa Parks, a seamstress from discussed how she wanted to portray Mrs. Parks, a woman she had Dreams become cliché Montgomery, Alabama, who refused to give up known personally for 24 years. “I wanted to share the woman that I had and deferred while her seat on a bus. This action sparked protests the privilege of knowing with younger people. Mrs. Parks was an icon, love eludes us and and ignited the civil rights movement. and when you’ve become iconic, you’re bigger than life. I wanted to freedom can’t be found A University Distinguished Professor in the Department of show that she was an ordinary woman who did an extraordinary thing,” But, English, Giovanni’s book has been universally well received by the said Giovanni. It’s like he never left us… media, librarians, and parents. Rosa has won the Coretta Scott King “Who would have thought that a Reduced to postage stamp memories, moral award for best illustration and also earned a Caldecott Honor. A copy of seamstress from Montgomery, Alabama, simplicity and the book was presented to the Rev. Jesse Jackson as a memento of his would be the first woman in the United the Capitalist ring of “I Have a Dream” in visit to Virginia Tech on Martin Luther King day. States to lay in state,” muses Giovanni. McDonald’s Commercials, “Its so wonderful that she’s the only But, What they’re saying about Rosa non-violent person. Of the 30 people It’s like he never left us… The Time magazine bonus section in December proclaimed, “In who have lain in state since the civil war, Kindergarteners color cardboard cutouts while light of Parks’ death at age 92 in October, this book seems especially 29 have been presidents, military men or Illustration by Bryan Collier civil rights becomes a punch line timely. But its message of quiet courage is timeless.” policemen – and Mrs. Parks.” But, The February edition of Parents magazine also applauded the “I was writing a poem for The New York Times on Mrs. Parks It’s like he never left us. book, saying “In honor of Black history month, be sure to read Rosa to and the first line of it says, ‘The sad thing about your death is you missed …like earthly prophets who swing from thought your family. It… is the perfect way to introduce little ones to the late, your funeral.’ I think she would have loved seeing herself lying in the trees in our presence- great civil-rights heroine.” Rotunda.” The pious eat fruit of it while fools ridicule it “Purposeful in its telling, this is a handsome and thought-provoking “Its still easier to tell kids the truth than have them grow up in But, introduction to these watershed acts of civil disobedience,” noted ignorance,” Giovanni recently told the Roanoke Times. “Segregation was It’s like he never left us… Margaret Bush for the School Library Journal. a national shame. It has to be dealt with.” …like Saturnites singing slang hymns in ghetto pulpits, Knowing cheap language is sin and Virginia Tech celebrates the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It’s like he never left us… by Ray Plaza Leonard suggested local artist Matheus de Oliveira. Upon viewing his Can you hear it? Sunday, January 15, 2006, marked the first university-wide portrait of Dr. King, the committee readily agreed it should represent Morning’s melancholy has become tomorrow’s celebration honoring the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. the 2006 event and arranged song and like an ancient blues riff we hear: The university honored the day by not scheduling classes, permission to use the striking image We shall overcome… followed by an unprecedented week-long series of events brought that set the professional and emotive We shall overcome… together the university community and the surrounding community. tone for the celebration. We shall overcome… With major speakers, service activities, teach-ins, cultural The committee also decided to Someday? performances, and the diversity summit, the week had something for work within the local schools, as is TODAY! everyone. done in other parts of the country. …and fear tempts us to be still. The traditional honoring of Dr. King by the Alpha Phi Alpha Superintendent of Schools in Stasis is no oasis and motionless-ness breeds ill- Fraternity with a memorial service was just the beginning this year. Montgomery County, Tiffany will in the psyche. The Commission Anderson was very supportive of an Memories fade, on Equal essay and poster contest. The Leaving stolen moments as our inheritance, Opportunity and Montgomery County-Radford City- but today…taste it with open mouth and open Diversity (CEOD) Floyd County Chapter of the heart. convened a NAACP agreed to fund the savings Commemorative Poster Run free—the future holds freedom’s melody. university and bond prizes. With only three weeks by Matheus de Oliveira We must dance a new dance and sing a new song- community group to prepare entries, there were 150 participants in the poster And the movement has to carry on because to coordinate and competition and 16 essays from Montgomery County and one HE never left us… plan the first ever from Henry County. Members of the NAACP and University Montgomery was more than a boycott- University MLK officials served as judges. The winners recognized at the HE never left us… Celebration. The Community Breakfast were, K – 2nd Grade - Yang Fei, first place, The march covered more than Washington, DC- first planning Sophie Thompson, second place, Ellie Stilwell, third place; 3 – 4th HE never left us… meeting provided Grade - Christopher Long, first place, Catherine Siegel, second The poor people’s campaign ain’t over- Reverend Jesse Jackson an overview of the place, Alder Bauer, third place; 5th Grade - Joseph McDonald, HE never left us… photo by Roger Link history of MLK first place, Kevin Harley, Leyla Kiran, third place; 8th Grade - Ben THEY tried to take him but, observations on Brightman, first place, Tylar Culver, second place, Jonathan HE never left us… the campus and around the country and began an extensive Overton, third place. Essay winners are Erica Scales, first place, THEY tried to kill HIM but, brainstorming process. It was decided that the celebration should be a Rachel Cline, first place, Krystle Johnson, second place, and HE never left us week-long and provide an opportunity for the entire university and Benjamin Poff, third place. HE never left us local community to come together. The theme that permeated the Two home basketball games during the week provided an HE never left us planning was community and the importance of service. opportunity to promote the MLK celebration. The athletic HE never left us- As the committee was looking for images for the department was interested in seeing if we could find something Martin is with us. commemorative poster to publicize the event, committee member Bob about Dr. King as an athlete. In a review of the literature, we Martin is us. See MLK Celebration on page 2 to attend. About 300 attended the breakfast, which was our A guide for our journey: MLK Celebration... initial limit. (See page 2 for article about he speaker, one of the Continued from page 1 Greensboro Four.) Representations of Race to be explored discovered an article that highlighted Dr. King’s role as an Service activities: It was critical that we include some By Kelly Belanger athlete as he was growing up and the influence that it type of service activity. The King Center has a focus on On Monday, April 24, the English department’s Center played. community service with the motto “A Day On, not a Day for the Study of Rhetoric in Society is sponsoring At the men’s home basketball game against Virginia Off.” A meeting was held with Michele James-Deramo, the “Representations of Race and the African American on Sunday night and the women’s home basketball game director of the Virginia Tech Service-Learning Center about the Community.” This interactive event is designed to connect against Virginia on Monday night, volunteers from the possibility of developing activities for the celebration. The members of the campus and surrounding communities through a committee, students from the Presidential Campus response was tremendous and Service-Learning became an day-long series of conversations including a lunchtime poster Enrichment Grant, and athletic staff from promotions placed official partner (See page 4). session and opportunities for small group dialogue. a folded flyer on every seat in Cassell Coliseum. The flyer “Our initial goal is to examine the way that race is Brown bag teach-in: Lunch hour brown bag teach-ins represented in our personal, academic, and civic lives,” said Kelly were modeled after the successful teach-ins conducted by the Bellanger, director of the center.