George Kilpatrick reads the words of Harriet Tubman at the Skaneateles Festival, not far from a stop on the Underground Railroad.
As part of the Skaneateles Festival’s “Not Your Mother’s Chamber Music Concert,” baritone Tony Cook sang several Civil War-era songs and George Kilpatrick read speeches by Frederick Douglass, Beethoven and Harriet Tubman. Below listen to a clip of GK reading a speech by Abraham Lincoln.
Monica Ellis, Jeff Scott, Mariam Adam, George Kilpatrick and David Ying at a post concert reception in Dobson Hall, First Presbyterian Church, Skaneateles.
Imani Winds, the Grammy-nominated chamber music ensemble, held a series of concerts in the area this week, including The Red House in Syracuse on Wednesday, and last night at the First Presbyterian Church in Skaneateles. Their relevant and authentic style was illustrated wonderfully when they made a delightful excursion through “Cane,” a piece written for the group by Jason Moran.
Imani Winds will make their next stop in Europe.
Tony Cook performs “Dixie”
Also performing were George Kilpatrick (readings/speeches), Tony Cook (the soulful baritone), Elinor Freer (piano) and the Jasper Quartet.
The concerts were part of the Skaneateles Festival. Last night’s production, directed by David Ying, was called Not Your Mother’s Chamber Music Concert.
Photos were taken at the First Presbyterian Church.
Monica Ellis, Imani Winds
George Kilpatrick and Sherri Kilpatrick Duchenne at the Opening of “Child of the Universe” at CFAC
I got a chance to check out the inaugural show for mixed media artist and activist, George Kilpatrick, Sr. on Saturday. The show,held at the Community Folk Art Center (CFAC), was attended by community members, artists, as well as the Kilpatrick family.
Media personality George Kilpatrick, Jr. opened the show by reading a poem his dad wrote called “The Artist.” George’s sister Sherri Kilpatrick Duchenne also told a story about how her dad taught the family to harness the power of the pen.
George Kilpatrick, III, a student studying at Howard Unviersity, representing third generation of the family, sang a soulful rendition of “Yesterday,” which reminded me a lot of the Donny Hathaway version.
Unplugged: George Kilpatrick, III, sings “Yesterday” by the Beatles
The show is on display for the rest of this week.
Griot Vanessa Johnson presents George Kilpatrick, Jr. with a quilt
George Kilpatrick talked recently with Networking guru George Fraser on New Inspiration for the Nation about the difference between “being ready” and “getting ready” for your business pursuits.
Salina B. Lazarus, Tonya Lewis Lee and Pastor Daren Jaime at Syracuse University
Salina B. Lazarus, Tonya Lewis Lee and Pastor Daren Jaime at Syracuse UniversityProducer, attorney and author Tonya Lewis Lee says she was surprised to learn several years ago that infant mortality rates among African American women were twice that of whites and Latinos here in the United States. She also found out that even among educated African American women, and those with access to healthcare, the infant mortality rates were disproportionately high.
“Clearly this is not a poverty issue,” she says.
Lewis Lee, the national spokesperson for the Healthy Baby Begins with You Campaign, was in town today at Syracuse University to present the 36-minute documentary she produced titled: Crisis in the Crib: Saving Our Nation’s Babies.
Despite the alarming statistics, Lewis Lee says she is optimistic that with increased education, further advances in genetics, as well as a collective effort from government, the medical community and the private sector working together, things can improve.
“There’s no overnight fix,” she says.
Lewis Lee talked earlier this year to NIFTN’s George Kilpatrick about her book Giant Steps to the Change the World. She said her next project will be to co-produce a film adaptation of the Christopher Paul Curtis book The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963 along with actor, comedian Chris Rock.
Dr. Steve Perry
For too long the education system has fostered schools that are failing and according to Steve Perry, principal and education activist, failure is no longer an option.
“We can’t call a school a school if it doesn’t educate,” he says. “We have to create schools that are designed to be successful.”
Perry gave a lecture Saturday at Bethany Baptist Church that was sponsored by the Say Yes to Education program. He heads Hartford Prep (CT) and was featured on the CNN series Black in America 2 with Soledad O’Brien. Perry has also been interviewed often by New Inspiration for the Nation’s George Kilpatrick.
For Perry education is a calling, not just a profession. He drives several of his students to school each day and says 100% of the students at Capital Prep go on to college.
Perry says that he has no problem getting this across to his staff, and because you have a degree doesn’t mean you are a teacher. “I’ve fired some great people, they just weren’t good teachers,” he said.
Citing the McKinesey Report, Perry said that a child without an education will be a challenge for society. He said parents, teachers and entire community’s share responsibility for schools that don’t work.
“I love kids too much to care about grown people’s feelings.”
The format may have changed, but I found images of the some of the great programming that went on at the former Power 106.9 (WPHR-FM)…
“Dig your well before you’re thirsty.” Businessman George Fraser said this during a recent interview on the New Inspiration for the Nation with George Kilpatrick. Fraser gave some good strategies to help navigate during uncertain economic times.
Syracuse Stage Producing Artistic Director Timothy Bond began a series of discussions around the August Wilson play Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, which opened the season. On September 21, I attended a post show forum on the use of the N-word during the play. The forum featured Actor Thomas Jefferson Byrd (standing) along with media personality George Kilpatrick (center) and professor Dr. Adam Banks. Byrd told the crowd of about 50 that he was not offended by the use of the N-word during the play because it was part of the dialogue that showed a true portrait of the world of the featured characters (circa 1920s). Wilson’s work gave those characters, and their world, recognition and worth, Byrd said. Banks added that the word as well as the use of the N-word must be framed within the proper historical and cultural context.
Local media personality George Kilpatrick began offering a podcast of his New Inspiration for the Nation show this week. I look forward to listening since I often miss the initial broadcast (on Sundays).