Kora Musician Baba the Storyteller

February 26, 2007, I was scheduled to perform at Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School in Los Angeles. For some reason I was a bit more anxious than usual. I don’t think it was because of the performance, or even the anticipation of what the students might be like. I think I was a bit more anxious because of the name of the school. Mary McLeod Bethune is one of those women of history whose life, for me, transcends legend and borders on epic. With next to nothing but a dram and a prayer in 1904, she founded the Daytona Normal and Industrial Institute for Negro Girls; which today is known as Bethune-Cookman College.

She did this in 1904! A black woman establishing an institution of higher learning in 1904! If you don’t fathom the immense historical relevance of this then there is probably little I can do to convey my excitement at being able to perform at a school named in her honor.

While my anxiety might seem somewhat silly to some, there are those out there who empathize completely.

I felt that, if I am going to a school named in her honor I must do something to represent the integrity, fortitude and intelligence of such a great woman. I did not think in terms of staff, students or teachers. I thought in terms of this woman’s legacy and the opportunities that I have had because of her. If you do not think that you have been affected by this woman’s legacy then you are seriously uninformed. You really must do a little research.

The evening before going to the middle school for the performances I contemplated the music I would play, the stories I would tell and the robes I would wear. I decided that, in the spirit of Mary McLeod Bethune, I should not compromise on any of the aspects of the quality of the performance. I took out my most expensive, colorful robes; I chose music and stories of an historical significance, and than I made sure to go to bed a little earlier than usual so that I could be fully rested. I felt that, on my part, this was but a small, simple gesture in trying to do something to honor this great woman’s memory.

The next day when I arrived at the school I was greeted by my liaison, a beautiful sister named Shauna Harris. She and I actually go back a number of years and this isn’t the first time she’s brought me to a school. We hugged, exchanged pleasantries and she escorted me to the library. It had been a few years since I had seen her but that smile of hers is an unforgettable thing.

When I walked into the library I was floored. It wasn’t a state of the art, high tech, multimedia center but it had a feeling of warmth and caring as if someone had put their personal touch on it. It is very difficult to describe. It is just a feeling that you have when you walk into a place. I found the source of this warmth. Her name is Mrs. Jenkins. She is the school’s librarian; a truly fascinating woman who actually cares about each and every child who walks through the door of her library. I immediately fell in love with her. She had a gentle nature but no-nonsense spirit. She let me know that she was from Atlanta, Georgia and I could feel the southern hospitality radiating from her. She made me feel at home and offered me free reign in her library.

Mrs. Jenkins was having a Persian Proverb placed on one of the walls of her library. It read:

“He who knows not and knows not that he knows not is a fool. He who knows not and knows not is a child, teach him. He who knows and knows not that he knows is asleep, wake him. He who knows and knows that he knows is wise, follow him.”

You may have to read it a couple of times but I’m sure you’ll get it.

Mrs. Jenkins was having this placed on the wall over the entrance of her library in large letters. It struck me that her passion and desire to instill greatness in our youth were the same traits which inspired Mary McLeod Bethune to build her first school. I was standing in the presence of the spirit of Mary McLeod Bethune and I was well aware of it.

The performances went very, very well. I connected with the students of Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School in a way that left me feeling really good about my work; in a way that left me with a really good impression of them.

After the performance I got a chance to spend a little time talking with Shauna and one of the school’s social workers. Two beautiful sisters spending time talking and laughing with me; I love my work.

As I was leaving the school, I stopped to look back at the brick buildings, playgrounds, parking area. I thought to myself: “I bet you Mary McLeod Bethune would be really proud to see what has been done to honor her.”

Although I didn’t get to meet any administrators, principals or other staff members, I got the impression that the structure, discipline and care for the children of this school flows from the top down. I really got the sense during my few hours on campus that all of the adults really cared about their work and weren’t simply collecting paychecks. There was a really strong sense of community in and around this school.

I think Mary McLeod Bethune stated it best when she said, “Invest in the human soul. Who knows, it might be a diamond in the rough.”

This is why I do what I do.

“Dooni dooni kononi bè nyaga da.”