20 Oct 95 13:53:42 -5 Date: Fri, 20 Oct 95 13:48:58 EDT From: coatesrd@casmail.muohio.edu (Rodney Coates) Reply-To: coatesrd@casmail.muohio.edu (Rodney Coates) To: Racial-Religious-EthnoNationalist Violence Studies Subject: A BLACK SISTA-PART OF OUR BEING-NEEDS HELP WHAT WE GO In 1990 Essence honored Ms. Dunham as being a black woman who " who through word, song, dance and deed have broken down barriers, set records and made their dreams come true. " An anthropologist, educator, choreographer and dancer, Katherine Dunham, received the National Medal of Arts on Nov 17, 1989. Some of her works enclude her ballet "Southland," created in 1951, was a protest against the South's policy of lynching and the destructive powers of hatred. Her work, research and creativity have brought African-based rhythms to the eyes of the world. On Feb 1, 1992, at the age of 82 Katherine Dunham showed that she was still in the struggle. On this day she began a fast to protest the repatriation of refugees who fled Haiti after the overthrow of Pres Jean-Bertrand Aristide. The fast ended after 47 days and captured the attention of the nation, the world and even the president (aka Bill Clenton). And now this great woman, this hero of our community Choreographer Katherine Dunham, the founding mother of Afro-Caribbean dance in the US, is wheelchair bound and has little money to exist or continue her work with young dancers. What shall we do...why not share some of what we individually have..a little money...no i don't want any to come my way, no I don't want even any credit (or condemnation) just send it directly to her: address it to: Ms. Katherine Dunham 532 North Tenth Street East St. Louis, Ill. 62201 yea... i still be me.. and the struggle continues... UMOJA, Still in the struggle Rodney D. Coates Director of Black World Studies Associate Professor of Sociology Miami University Oxford, Ohio - 45056 PH: 513-5291235