ST. LOUIS, MO - Larry and Judy Kendall of Wildwood, Missouri have been selected by Gitana Productions to receive the 2008 "Deeds Beyond Race: Extraordinary/Ordinary Person of the Year" Award. This is the eighth year for the award, which this year focuses on ordinary citizens who have bridged the gap between local African refugees and immigrants and the broader St. Louis community.
"Larry and Judy have gone to great lengths to help Africans get settled in the St. Louis community," said Cecilia Nadal, executive director of Gitana Productions.
"Each year, we honor people who bring different cultures together in St. Louis," Nadal said. "This year, our upcoming original play "Complacency of Silence: Darfur" puts the spotlight on the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan. St. Louis is home to 8,000 African refugees and immigrants, so we decided to honor St. Louisans who are helping Africans here feel at home and become successful."
Larry and Judy Kendall will be honored during the opening night performance of "Complacency of Silence: Darfur" on May 23, 2008, 8 p.m. at the Saint Louis University Theatre. "Complacency of Silence: Darfur" uses the power of theatre, music and dance to put a human face on the humanitarian crisis in Darfur.
Gitana chose to honor the Kendalls for their work with the African Refugee and Immigrant Services (ARIS), which provides assistance to Africans in St. Louis. Both Kendalls are ARIS board members and Larry is secretary/treasurer.
"We have learned and gained more from the African people than we can ever give back," said Judy Kendall. "We hope that by receiving this award, the St. Louis area can recognize the needs and opportunities to help in our community."
The Kendalls are most closely involved with Somalia refugees in St. Louis. They make sure that home visits are made to nearly every new family, then quietly go about procuring furniture, household products and connections in the community.
Larry also developed and supports an after-school program for Somali teenagers in the St. Louis Public Schools, to inspire a love for learning and help them develop communication, reading and writing skills. Many come from countries with no written language, and where girls are not allowed to attend school.
"This program provides skills that many of the students missed in their native countries," said Larry Kendall. "We love to see them so eager to learn."
Passionate about the African culture, the Kendalls created an annual African Thanksgiving dinner, where Africans from many countries share cuisines and cultures with other Africans and with St. Louisans.
The couple first became involved with Africans in 1995 through their association with the parents of Amy Biehl, who was slain in Africa. Inspired by the Biehls' reconciliation efforts in Cape Town, South Africa, the Kendalls have hosted Amy Biehl's mother Linda Biehl at numerous speaking engagements in St. Louis.
Gitana events bridge the gap
On April 27, 4:30 p.m., Gitana Productions will present "Faces of Darfur," a hauntingly beautiful collection of photographs by award-winning journalist, photographer and humanitarian relief worker Gina Bramucci. The photos, many of them portraits, capture Bramucci's relationships and interactions with the Darfuri people and shed much-needed light on the crisis in Darfur. The exhibit at St. Louis City Hall will run April 27 through May 3.
"Complacency of Silence: Darfur," an original play by St. Louis playwright Lee Patton Chiles, dramatizes the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan, Africa. The play provides insight into the lives of the Darfuri people such as mothers struggling to feed their babies, children eager to go to school, and young men and women looking towards marriage and family.
Performances of "Complacency of Silence: Darfur" run from May 23 through June 8 at the Saint Louis University Theatre. Performances are on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and on Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under (parental guidance is suggested). For tickets, call Metrotix at (314) 534-1111 or or Gitana at (314) 721-6556, and visit www.gitana-inc.org.
Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.
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