Visionary Heritage Fellows Program
VHFP Conference 2007
July 21 to July 25th
at Howard University
Thirty college students from across the country took part in the National Visionary Leadership Project’s (NVLP) 2007 Visionary Heritage Fellows Program (VHFP) Leadership and Training Conference held July 21 to July 25 on the campus of Howard University in Washington, DC. The Visionary Heritage Fellows Program is generously sponsored by Time Warner Inc.
2006 VHFP Scholarship Winner Jeffrey McLeod
with Clifford L. Alexander, Jr. and
Camille O. Cosby, Ed.D.
The five-day conference featured leadership discussions with two NVLP Visionaries. The first, which took place during the Opening Ceremony, was led by former Secretary of the Army and presidential advisor Clifford L. Alexander, Jr. and Camille O. Cosby, Ed.D., NVLP President and co-founder, producer, educator and philanthropist. The intriguing discussion was guided by well-researched questions asked by the 2007 VHFP class and moderated by NVLP Chief Executive Officer and co-founder, Renee Poussaint.
The Fellows were humbled by the words of wisdom from Mr. Alexander, who spoke about his early life, the positive influence of his parents, his career, and issues currently being discussed in the African American community. One student brought up the ongoing controversy raised by the question, “Are you black enough?” Mr. Alexander felt that if black people continue to participate in that debate, “we’ll never discuss the issues that are really important to black people.”
The conference continued to bridge the gap between youth and elders with a second leadership discussion lead by activist and Chairman Emeritus of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition Rev. Dr. Willie T. Barrow. The thought-provoking conversation addressed leadership and activism in the African American community during the Civil Rights Era and now. Rev. Barrow told the students to vote, contact their elected representatives and, perhaps most emphatically, she said (while asking the students to repeat after her), “We are not so much divided as we are disconnected.” “So we need to connect,” she urged the students.
The VHFP Leadership and Training Conference trains college students in the skills necessary to complete an independent study project that documents the lives of local visionary elders they choose from their own communities. The conference began with a warm welcome from NVLP staff. Co-founder Renee Poussaint, an award-winning former network television journalist and documentary filmmaker,, explained the NVLP mission and the importance of recording and preserving African American oral history. Allison Davis, Vice President of Development and Communications, led the students through an exercise designed to help them get to know one another. The result was hilarious as the students introduced each other to the rest of the class. To see the introductions, view the “Week in Review” video. In addition, five students from the 2006 VHFP class participated in a panel discussion about what the current Fellows should expect during the conference and later, when completing their semester projects in the Fall.
Civil Rights Icon Rev. Dr. Willie T. Barrow
makes a point during the VHFP conference.
The conference also included a series of workshops designed to acquaint the Fellows with the specific procedures and tools required to successfully prepare for and record their oral histories. Ms. Poussaint shared tips and strategies for conducting videotaped interviews. Shirley Moody, Ph.D., Conference Manager and professor of English at Penn State University, provided the Fellows with insight into the rigorous research necessary to prepare for their interviews. Program Director Skip Coblyn discussed the goals and deliverables of the Fellows’ semester projects once they return to their respective institutions. And finally, John Kinhart, Editor/Webmaster, explained how to set up and operate the video production equipment, which was new to many of the Fellows.
Students prepare for their Legacy Keeper
interviews in the video production workshop.
The students were divided into five teams, each of which conducted a group interview of a “Legacy Keeper,” an African American elder from the Washington, DC area. This year’s Legacy Keepers were Charles I. Cassell, architect, historic preservationist, and jazz enthusiast; Doris Harrison, national champion tennis player; Theresa Jones, community organizer and advocate; Richard “Dick” Morgan, jazz pianist and educator and William R. Spaulding, DC council member and educator. The group projects allowed each Fellow the opportunity to utilize the skills they learned during the conference. An excerpt from each interview was shown during the closing ceremony and transcripts of the interviews were given to both the Fellows and the Legacy Keepers.
Students interview architect Charles I. Cassell
about his life and career.
Each team was assigned a “Team Leader” to help them prepare for the interview, ensure that the production went as smoothly as possible, and complete the written assignment on time. This year’s team leaders included VHFP award winners, other former Fellows, and experienced filmmakers. The five Team Leaders were: Lorraine Blackwell (Howard University film student), Adrena Ifill (documentary filmmaker), Élan Moore (2006 VHFP honorable mention), Christopher Carr (2005 Fellow) and T.J. Turner (2006 VHFP second place award winner).
In addition, the dedication of our volunteers, student interns, consultants and staff all helped to make the 2007 VHFP conference a wonderfully memorable event.
