Enlarge

Posted: December 3rd, 2011 Brant Aycock

What is New Courage?  That was the subject discussed on Wednesday night at the latest installment of The Cankerworm - Crossroads Charlotte's homage to the Moth, a NYC story-telling forum.  During the event - participants had five minutes to discuss the night's topic. 

New Courage was very much on the minds of everyone at UNC Charlotte that day, as the University had declared it to be "New Courage Day".  The day included panel discussions, dramatic performances, art exhibits, and musical performances designed to examine the significant concepts and ideas that would help bring New Courage to the community.  The New Courage Project was born out of the Levine Museum of the New South's award winning exhibits COURAGE: the Carolina Story that Changed America and Para Todos Los Ninos: For all the Children. Both UNC Charlotte and the Levine Museum are Crossroads Charlotte organizations.

Quentin "Q" Talley served as Master of Ceremonies, and 8 courageous speakers (Clockwise from top left:  Shardae, Blaq Baree, Todd VanDenburg, Melissa Harris, Amber Williams, Judith Funderburke, Hannah Hassan and Khalidah Akbar) took their turn on the stage at the UNCC Student Union to give their perspectives.

The presentations were as varied as the participants.  Some, like Melissa Harris and Hannah Hassan, performed poems they had written on the subject.  Others, like Judith Funderburke, came to the event not prepared to speak but were so inspired that they felt compelled to share.  Shardae, who had just lost her mother, sang a moving acapella in tribute.  "I decided I would be the voice of both of us", she explained to the crowd.

Perhaps the most memorable example of New Courage in action was young Amber Williams.  Visibly shaking as she read what she had prepared, she still held the crowd's attention as she talked about "finding a place where I can change the face" of her realities.  She concluded by encouraging the crowd to "Embrace your new courage, and enjoy the show". 

With speakers as compelling as the ones that were at this night's event, everyone certainly did embrace New Courage and enjoy the show.

Tweet

Previous Page