Riverhead Middle School, 600 Harrison Street, Riverhead
Invites You to a Book Celebration & Performance
Thursday, May 29th, 2008 • 6 PM
In the RMS Café
Free to the Public
The People of Clarendon County—A Play by Ossie Davis
& the Answer to Racism!
Based on the book edited by Alice Bernstein
This 1955 play by Ossie Davis honors South Carolina parents who risked their lives for
their children's education. Their courageous legal challenge to segregation led to the
Supreme Court’s landmark decision, Brown v. Board of Education.
Hear journalist and Aesthetic Realism Associate Alice Bernstein tell of conversations
with Ossie Davis in 2004 which led to her finding his play. With his encouragement, she
gathered documents about these unsung heroes, and essays on the education that can
end racism: Aesthetic Realism, founded in 1941 by Eli Siegel.
See Riverhead Middle School and High School students enact scenes from “The People
of Clarendon County,” originally performed in 1955 by the young actors—Ossie Davis,
Ruby Dee, and Sidney Poitier.
Experience the Aesthetic Realism Teaching Method as educator Monique Michael, a
contributor to this book, presents a science lesson she’s taught to first graders. See how,
as children learn successfully, they become kinder and prejudice ends!
Special guests include people in our own community who helped change history!
Light refreshments and Book Signing
