Cultural Connection

Today, I attended the Cultural Connection Jazz Concert at the Douglass Theatre. Before the show began, I sat eavesdropping on a news anchor's interview with a young high school student from Houston County. She asked what brought him so far  (all the way to Macon) for this concert. He responded, that he was a percussionist in a youth symphony in Middle Georgia and very much interested in the Kalimba instrument that would be featured in today's concert. He knew all about the African instrument and was excited to hear it live. This being a performance to kick off black history month, the anchor went on to ask him why he felt it was important celebrate black history? And his response was unexpected. Paraphrasing, he shared that celebrating black history is simply a way to learn about a culture different from his own. Understanding the history and culture of all people is important to him as an American. I thought that was great to hear from a young student, especially given that he was white. It gave me a sense that there is much promise for the future generation after all.

Anyhow, the concert was amazing. If you missed it, you missed a treat. Cultural Connection!

Valerie Simmons, Kevin Spears (Kalimba Artist), and Me!