Living Legends Speak at T.C. Williams

Photo by Nina Tisara/Living Legends of Alexandria Panel: A panel of T.C. students questioned the Legends about topics including what being named a Legend meant to them.

ALEXANDRIA, VA. - Two of Alexandria's Living Legends, Carolyn Griffin (2007-08), and Jon Liss (2010) were interviewed by students in the Alexandria Speaks class led by T.C. Williams High School teacher Todd Koren.

Photo by Nina Tisara/Living Legends of Alexandria Dr. Morton Sherman created the Alexandria Speaks program at T.C. Williams High School.

The assembly program was facilitated by Shawn Thorpe, Academic Principal on Assignment, Center for the Arts K-12 and Sydney-Chanele Dawkins, filmmaker and commissioner, Alexandria Commission of the Arts.
 
Alexandria Speaks was created by Superintendent Morton Sherman as an opportunity to capture the human side of Alexandria's history. Dr. Sherman opened the program with a video, Voices of Alexandria, featuring Fred Day, the first African American chairman of a public school board in Virginia. Day was named a Living Legend of Alexandria in 2007-08.
 
Nina Tisara, director of Living Legends of Alexandria said her hope in bringing the program to T.C. is to help the students understand that "history is not only the past, it is happening now and that Alexandria's Living Legends are part of a interwoven tapestry of movements that includes integration, women's rights, and housing and economic issues. By introducing Alexandria's Living Legends to the students, we are demonstrating that individual people can and do make a difference."

Photo by Nina Tisara/Living Legends of Alexandria 2007-08 Legend Carolyn Griffin, Producing Artistic Director, MetroStage.

As part of the program, students had the opportunity to express interest in internships with Living Legends and MetroStage. 
 
For information on internship opportunities, contact AlexandriaLegends@ninatisara.com.

Photo by Nina Tisara/Living Legends of Alexandria 2010 Legend Jon Liss, Executive Director, Virginia New Majority.