DATE: Saturday, September 13, 1997          TAG: 9709130600

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B3   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY REBECCA MYERS CUTCHINS, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH                        LENGTH:   63 lines

ELDERLY BEING HONORED IN ADVANCE OF UMOJA FEST

Since its inception six years ago, the Umoja Festival always has begun with a short celebration to honor the elderly.

At the opening ceremony, a small gathering of seniors - recruited from civic leagues, churches and even some nursing homes - form a ``council of elders'' to grant permission for the festival to begin.

The tradition stems from the high regard the African culture holds for its elderly, said Paa-Bekoe Welbeck, a native of Ghana, West Africa, and a faculty member at the College of William and Mary.

``You do not insult your elders by taking charge in their presence,'' Welbeck said. ``You cannot do anything of significance - including ceremonies, funerals, childbirth, the naming of your child, being given away in marriage - without the permission of your elders.''

It was only natural, then, that the Portsmouth Task Force on Aging would be asked to coordinate this year's Community Education Forum, the kickoff to the 2 1/2-day festival that begins Friday on the downtown waterfront.

The forum, ``Celebrating Unity Through the Ages,'' will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday at Willett Hall, 3701 Willett Drive.

The free celebration will focus on song, dance and drama that celebrates and honors elders and their diversity, said Viki Lorraine, president of the Portsmouth Task Force on Aging.

The forum will begin with an opening ceremony in honor of elders, performed by Welbeck, who moved to the United States from West Africa in 1961.

African and African-American proverbs that highlight the forum's themes - diversity, cooperation and an appreciation of the elderly - will be projected on a large screen and recited by a narrator throughout the program.

Samuel Varner, an African-American history buff who spent three years in Kenya as a student and pastor, will portray an African griot.

``I'm going to be telling stories that highlight culturally significant events in African history,'' Varner said. ``The griot was the keeper of that history and related that history to the village.''

Varner also will tell stories related to the history of African Americans.

``The African-American storytelling takes a different slant,'' he said. ``It has an emotional tone that arouses appreciation for one's culture and history.''

Billie Cook, a member of the Not Just For February Players, a readers' theater that traces the history of African Americans, will perform slave narratives, theatrical renditions and humorous skits.

Because the forum is designed to enhance the understanding of the aging process, a number of agencies that work with seniors will have informational displays set up in the Willett Hall lobby. Representatives from these agencies also will speak during the two-hour program.

In addition, a physician from Portsmouth Family Medicine will give updates on aging-related issues like osteoporosis, breast and prostate cancer, and hypertension.

Organizers would like to attract as many as 500 seniors from throughout South Hampton Roads to the forum. A snack will be provided during intermission for those who register in advance. Call 398-3777 for registration information. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic

WANT TO GO?

When: 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday.

Where: Willett Hall, 3701 Willett Drive.

Cost: Free.

To register: Call Margie Connor at 398-3777.

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