"One Voice: A Black History Narrative"
Jeremiah Dew and his performance of “One Voice: A Black History Narrative” was a show that did not disappoint.
In his “Sit By Me” presentation to the Lower School last Wednesday, Dew presented the story of Rosa Parks and the Freedom Writers as well as Dr. Martin Luther King. Using videos, child geared slides, and even student participation, Dew was able to present that time in history in a way that students understood.
First grader William Karnes said, “My favorite part was when he did the “I Have a Dream Speech”.
Unlike his Lower School performance, throughout the Upper School presentation Dew never stepped out of character, moving seamlessly through the great historical figures Fredrick Douglas, Dr. Martin Luther King Junior, Muhammad Ali, and Barack Obama. Dew performed portions of their famous works, letting their words as well as the words of South Carolinians who lived during during the time period, retell history.
10th grader Kaila Guyen said, “I liked how eloquently he spoke.”
Dew’s afternoon presentation was the one that started his career a decade ago. Dew explained that this performance was supposed to be a two-night ticketed event. February 27, 2011, his birthday, was when he put on the first show. By the end of the second show, a man came up to him and asked him to come and perform for his company. Dew agreed. After that performance, a person at the company said that their spouse was a principal, and their school needed to see his performance. Ten years later, Dew is still performing, traveling from his hometown of Greenville all over the country.
When asked how he came up with the idea for the show, Dew stated, “I felt people needed to hear what the actual people were saying and not just the themes and philosophies in which they could be interpreted.”
It was a delight for PCA students and faculty to hear the words of great Black Americans in history come to life through Jeremiah Dew.