Category: Video

Duets of Difference: What Matters to Us

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This is a short film exploring the identities and stories of University Settlement community members studying English as a second language in the Adult Literacy Program accompanied by music and dance. The film is a culmination of a month-long teaching artist residency with four different Adult Literacy classes. “What Matters to Us” is a virtual reimagination and application of Creative Traffic Flow’s project, Duets of Difference. In this time of heightened xenophobia and political intolerance, The Duets of Difference project explores how people from different communities with different life experiences can connect in their differences. Students in the Adult Literacy program represent many different ages, ethnicities, and experiences. There were at least 11 different languages spoken amongst the class. “What Matters to Us” explores differences in family, relationships, and how to communicate as an English Language Learner.

Thank you to the Performance Project for making this collaboration possible!

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The Harlem Renaissance

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The Harlem Renaissance was an intellectual and cultural revival of African American music, dance, art, fashion, literature, theater and politics centered in Harlem in New York City in the 1920s and 1930s. 

Watch the video above to learn about the Harlem Renaissance and read a couple poems below by Langston Hughes, a poet who was part of it.

From Poetry.org:

Harlem

What happens to a dream deferred?

       Does it dry up
       like a raisin in the sun?
       Or fester like a sore—
       And then run?
       Does it stink like rotten meat?
       Or crust and sugar over—
       like a syrupy sweet?

       Maybe it just sags
       like a heavy load.

       Or does it explode?

I, Too

I, too, sing America.

I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.

Tomorrow,
I’ll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody’ll dare
Say to me,
“Eat in the kitchen,”
Then.

Besides,
They’ll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed—

I, too, am America.

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Daytime Staff Say Goodbye (For Now…)

US Adult Literacy1 Comment

Congratulations to Daytime Students of 2020! It’s been been quite a year! Here are our daytime staff members with a special message – and below you can see who speaks when in the video:

0:00 – Hello from Leanne, our Program Associate

0:19 – Jon, Assistant Director

1:12 – Mayra, Literacy Zone Coordinator

1:47 – Lucian, Director

3:49 – Chris, Counselor

4:42 – Jinhee, Program Coordinator

5:04 – Naima, 0A & 0P Teacher

6:33 – Faye, Counselor

7:01 – Joe, 3A & 3P Teacher

8:05 – Simon, 2A & 2P Teacher

8:46 – Wendy, Culture Club Teacher

9:49 – Dehbia, 1B & 1C Teacher

10:33 – Sunjoo, 1A & 1P Teacher

11:35 – Benson, Counselor

12:09 – Hans, CCR-A & CCR-P Teacher

13:02 – 👋🏼 Bye-bye!

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