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High school celebrates legacy of Rosa Parks

At Northwestern, students urged to follow activist’s example

Thursday, Feb. 9, 2006

Click here to enlarge this photo Barbara l. Salisbury⁄The Gazette Angel Morris (left), 13, of Hyattsville and Monty Rivers Jr., 15, of Riverdale, both members of the Colours in Arts Education program, perform one of their dances during the ‘Rosa Remembered’ performance Saturday night at Northwestern High School. Several groups took part in the event to celebrate Rosa Parks’ birth anniversary.

Area students gathered Saturday at Northwestern High School in Hyattsville to celebrate the life of Rosa Parks, the African-American who, in December 1955, refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man in Montgomery, Ala.

‘‘Rosa Remembered” was the theme of the benefit show that featured performances by Northwestern’s Jazz Band, Vocal Ensemble, World Percussion Ensemble and Steel Drum Band, students from the Colours Performing Arts Program.

Lyrikal Storm Poets from Parkdale High School and Break of Dawn, a jazz band comprised of Prince George’s County educators, also performed.

The celebration of the life of the civil rights pioneer also came at a time when the nation was mourning the death of another American icon — Coretta Scott King, widow of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

The concert was attended by several hundred people and raised more than $3,000 to support Northwestern’s music program, the Colours Performing Arts Program and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Jason Cook, who founded and directs Colours, said he organized the concert to make students understand the importance of Parks’ actions and to teach them social awareness through arts.

‘‘I try to teach them that arts is a way to make people aware of the world around them,” Cook said. ‘‘Because it’s really up to them to carry on Ms. Parks’ legacy.”

And the students took Cook’s lesson to heart on Saturday, as they passionately took the stage, performing music and dancing.

Nearly 50 students from the Colours Performing Arts Program, who were clad in black jerseys adorned with peace symbols, sang and danced to popular songs, including ‘‘Georgia On My Mind” and the theme from ‘‘Rent.”

The Lyrikal Storm Poets from Parkdale High School in Riverdale rapped and recited verse about the plight of African Americans through the years.

One of the evening’s highlights was the performance by Break of Dawn, a jazz band composed of nearly 20 Prince George’s County music teachers.

The group performed several animated songs, including Thelonius Monk’s ‘‘’Round Midnight” and Dizzy Gillespie’s famous ‘‘Berk’s Works.”

Earlier in the evening, County Councilman Will Campos (D-Dist. 3) of Hyattsville presented Cook with a check for $1,000 from the county.

Campos said he has recommended the county name the new Hyattsville elementary school in Parks’ honor.

‘‘What you’re seeing here is the exact thing Rosa Parks fought for,” Campos told the audience. ‘‘Young people of all ages and races are dancing and performing together.”

The students echoed Campos’ sentiments and said they wanted to use music and dancing to show their gratitude for Parks.

‘‘We remember [Ms. Parks] through arts and dance, because she was an important person in the U.S. and in the world,” said Monty Rivers Jr., 15, a student at Suitland High School, who has participated in Colours for eight years. ‘‘We’re showing her that we care through out performing.”

Ayanna Quander, 13, a Hyattsville Middle School student, said it’s important to remember Rosa Parks because she helped improve the world for young people.

‘‘I think she was a good role model for black people,” said Quander, who has performed in Colours for three years.

Overall, Cook said he was satisfied with the evening and optimistic the students will practice what they preach — or at least practice what they sing and dance.

‘‘I just hope they keep using arts as a way to becoming stronger people.”

Colours is scheduled to perform, ‘‘Our Life, Our Pride, Our Story,” a black history month celebration, Feb. 24 and 25, at Northwestern High School.

For more information, visit www.colours.org.