American Corner Bacau

Events

Black History Month

During February 2007, American Corner Bacau celebrated Black History Month.

To mark this event, American Corner Bacau organized a few book exhibits: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Movement for Civil Rights, Music of African-Americans, and African-American Literature. For each of these exhibits free brochures were designed by the American Corner staff and distributed to the students.

In the same time, over 30 high school students from "Ferdinand I" High School Bacau, along with their English teacher Iulia Agrigoroaei, designed portfolios presenting the history and culture of African-Americans, using resources from the American Corner collections.

They all presented their work during an activity on February 26, 2007, chaired by the special guest, Ms. Julie Greenblatt, vice-consul at U.S. Embassy, Bucharest. They started with a presentation of the history of Afrrican-Americans, highlighting the contribution of African-American personalities to the American culture. One of the students’ projects targeted Martin Luther King’s famous speech „I have a dream”. Others projects insisted on the contribution of African-Americans in fields such as music, sports, and literature. Two groups of students had chosen drama as presentation method.

After this short program, the vice-consul Julie Greenblatt started an interesting dialogue about African-Americans and the Black History Month, multiculturalism and cultural diversity. The American guest was very impressed by the very well trained students and by their inventiveness and imagination in conceiving the costumes and the sketches, in reproducing every historical moment.

Receiving Certificates of Participation from the American Vice-consul was a good reason for students to be excited and proud. The students also received some informational pamphlets: „The Civil Rights Movement and the Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.” and „Generation of Change. The Civil Rights Movement in America”.

Another exhibit including information about African-American personalities from the social, political and cultural life completed this activity: leaders and activists, musicians, writers, actors, sportsmen, inventors and science men.

Press coverage: five articles in local newspapers (Monitorul de Bacau on February 2 - “The history of Jazz at American Corner Bacau (book exhibit)”; Monitorul de Bacau on February 22 - “The American Vice-Consul at American Corner Bacau”; Desteptarea on February 22 - “American Vice-Consul visiting Bacau”; Ziarul de Bacau on February 27 - “The US Vice-Consul came to Bacau”; Monitorul de Bacau on February 27 - “Multiculturalism and diversity at American Corner”).

Luna Civilizatie Afro-Americane

In luna februarie 2007, American Corner Bacau a celebrat Luna Civilizatiei Afro-Americane.

Pentru a sensibiliza publicul bacauan cu acest eveniment, pe parcursul lunii au fost organizate mai multe expozitii tematice de carte: Martin Luther King Jr. si miscarea pentru drepturi civile, Muzica Afro-Americanilor, Literatura Afro-Americana. Cu ocazia fiecarei expozitii, au fost realizate si distribuite gratuit pliante cuprinzand o prezentare a tematicii abordate.

In acelasi timp, 30 de elevi de la Colegiul National „Ferdinand I” din Bacau, coordonati de prof. Iulia Agrigoroaei, au pregatit portofolii vizand aspecte din istoria si cultura negrilor americani, utilizand in acest scop resursele American Corner Bacau.

Incununarea muncii de cercetare desfasurate de elevi pe parcursul lunii februarie a fost reprezentata de activitatea desfasurata in data de 26 februarie 2007. In fata invitatului de onoare sosit de la Ambasada SUA din Bucuresti, viceconsulul Julie Greenblatt, elevii au prezentat rezultatele muncii lor. Programul elevilor de clasa a XI-a a inceput cu o scurta prezentare a istoriei afro-americanilor, reliefandu-se contributia personalitatilor ce au schimbat modul de a gandi al americanilor. Unul din proiectele realizate de elevi s-a ocupat indeaproape de celebrul discurs al lui Martin Luther King Jr. „I have a dream”. Alte proiecte au vizat o trecere in revista a contributiei afro-americanilor in domenii precum: literatura, muzica sau sport.

Elevii de clasa a X-a au fost mai putin sobri decat colegii lor, alegand ca metoda de prezentare dramatizarea. Ei au interpretat doua scenete.

Dupa finalizarea programului pregatit de elevi, viceconsulul Julie Greenblatt a initiat un interesant dialog cu elevii pe tema afro-americanilor, a multiculturalitatii, a importantei diversitatii culturale. Totodata, oaspetele american s-a aratat impresionat atat de pregatirea elevilor, cat si de inventivitatea si imaginatia de care au dat dovada in conceperea scenetelor, a costumelor si in redarea fiecarui moment istoric.

La randul lor, elevii au fost placut impresionati de disponibilitatea si familiaritatea invitatului special. Un motiv in plus de emotie dar si de mandrie pentru elevi a fost primirea diplomelor de participare inmanate de viceconsulul american. La finalul activitatii, elevii au primit si alte materiale informative: „The Civil Rights Movement and the Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.” si „Generation of Change. The Civil Rights Movement in America”.

Activitatea de luni a fost completata si de organizarea unei noi expozitii prezentand personalitati afro-americane din toate domeniile vietii social-politice si culturale: lideri si activisti pentru drepturi civile, scriitori, muzicieni, actori, sportivi, inventatori si oameni de stiinta.

Ecouri in presa locala: 1 articol referitor la expozitiile tematice organizate (Monitorul de Bacau din 2 februarie - Istoria jazzului la American Corner Bacau) si 4 articole referitoare la activitatea din 26 februarie (Monitorul de Bacau din 22 februarie - Viceconsulul american la centrul American Corner Bacau; Desteptarea din 22 februarie - Viceconsulul american in vizita la Bacau; Ziarul de Bacau din 27 februarie - Viceconsulul SUA a venit la Bacau; Monitorul de Bacau din 27 februarie - Multiculturalism si diversitate la American Corner)

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