 One of the most important social and economic events in U.S. history was the “great migration” of hundreds of thousands of African-American men, women and children from the rural south to northern cities in the early 20th century. The Sumter County Cultural Commission, in partnership with the Sumter County African-American Cultural Society, will host 2 two-day conferences on August 9-12, 2010 for 25 high and 25 middle school teachers from South Carolina who are recipients of the NEH Picturing America poster series. The institutes will explore the great migration through the magnificent paintings of African-American artist Jacob Lawrence.
The summer conferences will include leading scholars, writers, historians, and art educators in the fields of African American art, history, literature, and music. Among the scholars are Jerry Ward, Patricia Sullivan, Suzanne Wright, Valinda Littlefield, Tom Powers, Phil Schaap and Minuette Floyd. The institutes will be directed by Dr. Mark David, Chair of Humanities and Religion at Morris College in Sumter, South Carolina.
The participating teachers will engage in intensive discussion and reading, drawing on the experience of leading scholars and exploring themes in art education, African American history, literature and music as they consider Jacob Lawrence’s Great Migration Series. The themes will relate to the study of African American literature and history including the work of Richard Wright, whose novel Black Boy follows its protagonist from South to North; Joe Turner’s Come and Gone from August Wilson’s “Pittsburg Cycle,” a series of plays depicting African American life in the 20th Century; the impact of the migration on the music of the Harlem Renaissance; local primary sources; and a traveling trunk exhibit at the Sumter County African American Cultural Society. They will review a rich array of primary sources at the local Sumter County Library, including oral histories, memoirs, music, and archival sources. Teachers will also work in small groups to review and develop plans to bring visual culture into their instruction. A list serve and website will be developed for ongoing discussion, follow-up and collaboration. Jump drives will be purchased and loaded with primary sources for classroom use. |
