“Let’s Try Love: African American History through the Performing Arts”

In commemoration of Black History Month, join the Daniel Island Historical Society (DIHS) for a special Q&A discussion with Donald O’Conner, founder and director of the Watoto Academy for the Performing Arts.

This event, held in partnership with Bishop England High School, will take place just prior to Watoto’s celebration of the Harlem Renaissance at BEHS. The performance, entitled “The Joint is Jumpin’,” begins at 7 p.m. Mr. O’Conner founded the Watoto Academy more than 25 years ago in Memphis, Tennessee as a way to reverse deep-rooted negative patterns of thinking and behavior among local urban youth. He brought the program to Meeting Street Academy in Charleston in 2014.

The idea was that if students could focus on powering academics and social-emotional skills through rich experiences in the arts, learning would come to life as they experienced African and African-American music, dance, performance styles, literature, and history. Today, Watoto’s student dancers and musicians travel the country sharing a powerful message of love through their performances. Please make plans to join DIHS for this unique opportunity to hear directly from Mr. O’Conner on how this program is changing the way communities experience, celebrate, and understand African American culture as a foundational cornerstone of our shared complex American culture. All are welcome. FREE.

PLEASE NOTE A DIFFERENT DAY OF THE WEEK, TIME AND VENUE FOR THIS PROGRAM!

For more on Watoto Academy CLICK HERE