THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 29, 1996 TAG: 9603270162
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: B02 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY GARY EDWARDS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
Meleek is 10, a fifth-grader who doesn't want to go to school.
He disrupts class, gets punished frequently and tells his parents that he doesn't really need school. He wants to be a cartoonist and explains to his mother and father that he already knows how to draw. They shake their heads at their problem child.
One night in his bedroom, he is visited by some unlikely historical figures, all of whom urge him to reconsider his need for education. Meleek's visitors include Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Maya Angelou, Mahalia Jackson and other notable African-American leaders.
They all explain to Meleek that he is the beneficiary of tremendous sacrifice and that he should be proud to have the opportunities afforded him. Meleek heeds the wise words and returns to school.
At least, that's what happened in a drama called ``Awake Thy Heritage,'' a play by Brenda Brown performed at Salem Middle School recently. Meleek was played by Simon Brown and the play was part of a Black History Month Celebration at Salem Middle School on March 1.
The event was sponsored by the Police Department's 4th Precinct. The Bridle Creek Tenants Association and the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Drama Ministry provided the evening's activities.
This celebration was the inaugural event and organizers hope to continue every year, said Officer K.T. Jackson, who helped bring the celebration to fruition. Jackson opened the activities with a prayer and closed with a benediction.
In addition to the play, there were singing by Gary Ferebee, poems by Sharon Dixon and Daphne Coleman and a step show by the Rehoboth Baptist Church Joy Steppers, featuring 2-year-old Xavier Smith.
Dixon performed multiple duties during the program. Besides reading her poetry, she also served as mistress of ceremonies. She has worked as drama minister at Pleasant Grove for 10 years.
``I've been involved in church plays for 19 years altogether,'' said Dixon, who received a degree in theology from the Evans Smith School of Theology at Virginia Union University in Richmond last year.
``We have 19 kids we work with in the drama ministry. I write and direct plays,'' she said. ``We recently went to North Carolina for a play.
``And I'm so proud of the Bridle Creek Community Choir. That's 13 or 14 children that we got together for the show. You know, they had only been rehearsing for two weeks for the show and they did a wonderful job.
``I think it's important to mention that. Not all our kids are bad. Many are doing positive things.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photos by GARY EDWARDS
Shinethia Hartley, 12, and Xavier Smith, 2, performed in a step show
by the Rehoboth Baptist Church Joy Steppers.
Sharon Dixon read poetry and served as mistress of ceremonies for a
Black History Month Celebration at Salem Middle School. Activities
included a performance of ``Awake Thy Heritage,'' a play by Brenda
Brown. The event was sponsored by the Beach Police Department's 4th
Precinct and the Bridle Creek Tenants Association and the Pleasant
Grove Baptist Church Drama Ministry participated.
by CNB