The arts and art programs continue to be marginalized
in urban communities. Many schools, predominantly in African American neighborhoods with predominantly African American student bodies have seen music
and theater programs slashed from the curriculum due to a lack of funding.
While schools all over America are experiencing similar problems, school with large minority populations are hardest hit. The parents of these students
lean on extracurricular activities to help shape the child’s leadership
and social skills and give a bit of positive
reinforcement in environments where there may be few positives in a child’s daily life.
At the unveiling of the state-of the-art Cicely L. Tyson Community School of Performing and Fine Arts in East Orange, N.J., some of the biggest names in arts and entertainment were on hand to honor the legendary Ms. Tyson and celebrate the opening of the school.
“It’s a wonderful model for what
can be done,” said CNN’s Soledad O’Brien, who hosted the event. “I’m
really impressed and amazed … Cicely Tyson is the kind of person
who does this kind of work. I know the kind of effect she has on people
and that’s the kind of effect this school will have on these students.”
O’Brien, actresses Tamara Tunie, Angela Bassett and Lynn Whitfield,
publisher Susan L. Taylor, ambassador Andrew Young, and media maven
Oprah Winfrey were all there to greet the bright young faces as they
celebrated the opening of the school with song, dance and reverence
for Ms. Tyson.
But the legendary actress wanted to
emphasize the importance of not just celebrating the school’s opening,
but of continuing to push for the arts to be a priority in urban schools.
“[Art] encompasses everything because it is the one common denominator,”
said Ms. Tyson. “Art brings [us] together —it’s a universal language.
Children have an inclination to be drawn to things that are outside
the academic [world.] If you play a tune on the piano, they’ll learn
more from that run on the keys than they will from a book that you may
put in front of them.” The arts and academia are not mutually exclusive,
but so often we seem to forget that.
O’Brien expressed hope that the powers-that-be
understand and appreciate that potential in using the two principles to
guide and grow entire generations of innovators and thinkers. “I think
that there’s a real misconception, especially in public school, that
arts are ‘extra’ or ‘tacked on.’ I [believe in] the integration
of the arts into every facet of academics,” she says. “You’re
supposed to turn out good human beings, [who are] not just able to spew
back test results. I want them to also value art and I think there is
an easy way to [create] art programs [that also] teach reading and math
and science.” –todd williams
