Living Legends/Alexandria Speaks

Two of Alexandria's Living Legends, Carolyn Griffin (2007-08), and Jon Liss (2010) were interviewed by students in the Alexandria Speaks class led by T.C. Williams High School teacher Todd Koren.  The assembly program was facilitated by Shawn Thorpe, Academic Principal on Assignment, Center for the Arts K-12 and Sydney-Chanele Dawkins, Filmmaker and Alexandria Commission of the Arts Commissioner.

 

Carolyn Griffin, producing artistic director, MetroStage

Jon Liss, Director, Virginia New Majority

Alexandria Speaks was created by Superintendent Morton Sherman as an opportunity to capture the human side of Alexandria's history.  Dr. Sherman opened the program with a video, Voices of Alexandria, featuring Fred Day, the first African American chairman of a public school board in Virginia.  Day was named a Living Legend of Alexandria in 2007-08.

Dr. Morton Sherman opened the program.

Nina Tisara, director of Living Legends of Alexandria said her hope in bringing the program to T.C. is to help the students understand that "history is not only the past, it is happening now and that Alexandria's Living Legends are part of a interwoven tapestry of movements that includes integration, women's rights, housing and economic issues.  By introducing Alexandria's Living Legends to the students, we are demonstrating that individual people can and do make a difference."
 
As part of the program, students had the opportunity to express interest in internships with Living Legends and MetroStage.  For information on internship opportunities, contact AlexandriaLegends@ninatisara.com.

Photos by Nina Tisara/Living Legends of Alexandria