Program Co-Leaders Named 2010 ECHO Award Winners

Submitted by Nathan Ross Freeman on Fri, 05/21/2010 - 2:07pm

Winston-Salem, N.C. May 5, 2010 –The ECHO Awards, presented jointly by the ECHO Council and Winston-Salem Foundation, recognize outstanding individuals who creatively work to build trusting relationships for a stronger community. This year, Authoring Action's program co-leaders, Lynn Rhoades and Nathan Ross Freeman, were among those honored with the prestigious award.

For eight years, Rhoades and Ross Freeman have quietly and earnestly dedicated their hearts, souls and personal resources to Authoring Action, which provides programs designed to foster positive youth development, redefine learning and connection to community through the arts and build social capital in support of stronger communities.

Within the framework of Authoring Action’s signature creative writing and spoken words methods, youth participants’ life experience is validated as the point of departure for exploring self and the larger world. In the process, youth are fortified to take responsibility for their lives and  claim their place as young leaders and bridge builders with unique insight to achieve healthy, thriving and unified communities.

Owing to the vast combined professional and social networks of Rhoades and Freeman across the cultural, arts, public education, university, social service, social justice and law enforcement arenas, Authoring Action youth are regularly invited to engage in and contribute to community dialogues and initiatives aimed at addressing such critical issues as violence and gangs, drop out prevention, health, cross-cultural relations and others. 

A wonderful example of resulting social capital is Authoring Action’s relationship with the Winston-Salem Police Department where, for six years, Authoring Action youth joined with program co-leaders in delivering cultural diversity workshops to the Winston-Salem Police Rookie School to foster understanding and positive relationships between police and youth and explore solutions to violence. 

Anytime diverse groups of individuals come together and have the opportunity to hear one another’s heartfelt perspectives constitutes an opportunity for bridge building. Indeed, this is a foundational goal of the organization Rhoades and Freeman have nurtured with a patience and persistence akin to the most loving of parents.

Each year the graduating Authoring Action class opens it culminating commencement engagement to the wider community, attracting one of the most racially diverse audiences of any event held in Winston-Salem. For Authoring Action youth, the event represents their first opportunity to share the truth of what they experience, see and hope for in their own lives and in their community. For audience members, it is a reminder of our collective responsibility for one another,  especially our children, and a call to step up and be a part of efforts toward positive change.

A sampling of other Assegai Outreach Ensemble engagements for which youth have developed and orally presented original written works, offering a youth eye view of issues and strategies for change include:

  • Alternative Education Teachers of North Carolina Conference – topic-related stage forum
  • Healthy Community Coalition’s Health Equity Day – topic-related stage forum
  • Hidden Voices, Chapel Hill, NC ~  “Home is Not One Story: Exploring the Heart of Homelessness” project – topic-related writings and photography
  • National Drop Out Prevention Conference – topic-related stage forum
  • P. Buckley Moss Foundation for Children's Education Conference – For two years, provided a stage forum for educators from around the nation at the annual conference on Arts and Education
  • Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools – On-going "Integrating the Authoring Action Experience in the Classroom” workshops, in-class workshops for youth on creative writing and the spoken word and stage forums.
  • Winston-Salem State University Center for Community Safety – Coached Saturday Academy participants in creative writing and oral delivery
  • Women's Fund of Winston-Salem Annual Luncheon– Authoring Action’s Girl to Girl program is funded by the Women’s Fund of Winston-Salem and invited the girls for a stage forum for at the Annual Community Luncheon
  • WS Urban League – Awarded Authoring Action the Non-Profit of the Year Award and invited youth to present at the awards reception.

Final Note: In consideration that for most of its existence, Lynn and Nathan have served as sole staff members for Authoring Action, serving as Executive Director and Artistic Director respectively, it is astounding to consider what they have been able to achieve. Even more so, in light of the fact that the organization is only now hitting its stride in terms of implementing strategies to ensure sustainable funding that includes regular salaries for them both. Translation – Despite funding shortfalls, Nathan and Lynn elected to continue the program, ensuring that both youth and collaborating artists received stipends for their contributions, while receiving little to nominal compensation for themselves.

Make no mistake; the intention in 2010 is to turn the corner on these circumstances. Still it bears mentioning here as a testimony to the incomparable dedication of both Lynn and Nathan to positive youth and community development.

Testimonies like those noted below are the fuel that has kept these two individuals going. As has the recognition that building social capital and facilitating change is an evolutionary process of establishing trusted relationships across the various groups engaging in a collectively desired revolution.

“It changed my life…my whole way of thinking about what I could do.” — Willie Homes

“It really made me the person I am today. I know I wouldn’t be in college because I didn’t think I was going.”
— Love’ Lemon

“Thanks so much for such an eye-opening, soul-shaking engagement! It's obvious that you are passionate about life and your art. You've given me new ways to think about teens and education, and about myself and how I fit into your lives.” — C. Higgins, participant, P. Buckly Moss Foundation for Children's Education Conference, Virginia

“Authoring Action fills a need in the community; one that I fear many do not even recognize. The true power of the program begins with the youth who learn to stand with pride and speak their hearts; but the power positively explodes with every engagement, as other youth have the opportunity to begin to think for themselves, “Yeah, I get that, I feel that. Yes. I can do that, too.” — Jen Presley, English Teacher, The Early College of Forsyth

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