American Women's Group celebrates National Heritage Week

On Thursday, October 17, the members of the American Women's Group (AWG) braved the overly-tight security checks at the Colin Powell Plaza in Manor Park, St Andrew, to attend their regular monthly meeting.

Everyone agreed that it was one of the most interesting and exciting meetings they had attended because of the rich cultural lesson that was presented. The meeting was themed to celebrate National Heritage Week some members even dressed for the occasion.

Writer/teacher Paul H. Williams made an interesting and witty presentation on Jamaica's linguistic heritage, explaining the origins of the Creole (patois to many), spoken on the island. He focused on the rich cultural heritage and the reason we continue to celebrate, but also honed in on the embarrassment that causes many to live in a near state of denial about Jamaican Creoles relevance and rightful place in everyday life.

questions

At the end of his presentation, he fielded many questions from members who obviously held very strong positions on the merits or lack thereof of wholesale use and acceptance.

Ouida Lewis, lecturer at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, took the group on an exciting journey down the ages from African dance forms and drum sounds/uses, to what is popular today. She ended by inviting the members to form a band with each person playing one of the instruments she had used in the Nol-demonstration. The result was beautiful.

As it has done since its inception, the AWG continues to raise funds to give scores of students scholarships to high schools.