Watch a brief video below.
The Nevada Humanities week-long Chautauqua Festival kicked off its first event on June 19 at the Sierra Arts Gallery. Geralda Miller, owner of the Art Spot Reno, hosted the event that allowed community members to read poetry, celebrating Juneteenth and the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act.
Community members expressed their favorite artists’ work through poetry and song. Pat Esters opened the reading by singing, ” Life Every Voice and Sing,” by James Weldon Johnson.
Community members who shared:
- Claytee White: “And2Morrow” by Tupac Shakur, “A Brave and Starting Truth” by Maya Angelou
- Paul Mitchell: ” The Song of Smoke” by W.E.B. DuBois, “Ka Ba” by Imanu Amiri Baraka
- Jaedyn Frankovich: “I know why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou, “American Smooth” by Rita Dove, “Childhood” by Margaret Walker
- John Drendel: Three poems b Derek Walcott, “Love after Love” and two from “White Egrets”
- Stacey Spain: “On Stripping Bark from Myself” by Alice Walker, “Right on: White America” by Sonia Sanchez, “For my People” Margaret Walker
- Joseph Galata: “Georgia Dusk” by Jean Toomer, “Letter to Brooks: Spring Garden” by Major Jackson
- Krystal Tingle: “Choices” by Nikki Giovanni, “Human Family” by Maya Angelou
- Geralda Miller: Works from the first and last African American poet laureates, “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden and “Pastoral” by Natasha Trethewey
- Pat Esters: singing ” My Living will not be in Vain”
A reception of wine, cheese and dessert was catered by Scott Goodlin immediately following the poetry reading. The Nevada Humanities Chautauqua Festival is from June 19-27. Ticketed evening shows begin June 24. Free daytime events are scheduled throughout the Truckee Meadows area.
For more information visit nevadahumanities.org.
