The Power of Story - Promoting Critical Thinking and Literacy

Heard a good story lately? That is a common question verbalized among many of us. Everyone loves a good story. Educator Vivian Gussey Paley pointed out, "story is the essential culture builder in any society or group or classroom...it is the way our minds work." Paraphrasing Joseph Campbell, "you are doomed to become what you cannot imagine." Virtually all-traditional stories deal with conflict in one form or another. Whether they are between nations, cultures, friends, siblings, parents & children or others, the stories contain deep truths about the need to resolve conflict in constructive, nonviolent ways. We talk about it taking a village to raise a child but what happens when the village loses its imagination? What happens when its' only source of information is coming through the bought and paid for media spinning it Rapunzel spinning straw into gold. We realize that basketball will be available for summer youth while jobs will be challenging to find. Every young person does not play afternoon or midnight basketball, is not interested in boxing, and do want something better to do than simply hang out on the street. How can we use the power of story to open the imagination of our folk? Creation does not begin with Facebook nor does it end in MySpace. What about our artists, painters, writers, chess players, debaters, cyclists, gardeners, cooks, musicians, those with environmental pursuits, and others? How do we spark their imagination? TONIGHT'S GUESTS Dr. Kristal C. Owens, President, Empowerment Center. The Empowerment-Center, Ephraim Moore, One of My Awesome Grandsons, Third Grade Student, also know as "Laqui" a 9 year-old from Maryland City Elementary School will dialogue with us and share some of his own favorite stories. He will be sitting right next to me. Ty Gray-EL, CSMT also known as "The Ambassador of Poetry" Chief Spiritual Officer of Breath of My Ancestors We have demonstrated the effectiveness of using story as a tool. Join us and