Award-winning stage, film and television actress Phylicia Rashad will be featured in “A Soul to Behold: The Timeless Inspiration of African-American Women” on Wednesday, February 2, at 9 a.m., at the DuPont Theatre in Wilmington.
The two-hour event also will feature an original performance by the Christina Cultural Arts Center Dance Ensemble. During the show, performers also will announce the winners of the Delaware Student Essay contest.
Hosted by DuPont and the Legal Black Employees Network (LBEN), the production is part of DuPont’s 2011 Black History Month Program. The essay contest gave Delaware students a chance to compete for awards while paying homage to African-American women.
“The Black History program has always been a forum for exposing prominent African Americans, and their contributions, triumphs and challenges,” says Chyrrea Sebree, a Corporate Intellectual Property Counsel at DuPont. “Yet, it is far more than another experience with the struggles that made the Civil Rights Movement so notorious. Rather, the program is designed to share the stories and triumphs that may not be apparent, or even present, in history books or other media.”
According to Sebree, male members of DuPont’s Legal Black Employees Network suggested a theme to celebrate the contributions of African-American women. “Then came the difficult task of identifying a speaker who was the right fit for the theme,” says Sebree. “The team needed more than ‘a famous black woman’ to carry the program. We needed a black woman to anchor our ideas; a black woman whose personality, success, and experience epitomized the essence of African-American women.”
Rashed was an obvious choice. Her performance in “A Raisin in the Sun” on Broadway earned her a Tony Award—the first ever for an African-American female. Rashad, probably best known for her role as Claire Huxtable in the long-running television sitcom, “The Cosby Show,” will give a 45-minute address and will entertain questions from students.
The event is open to the public, and DuPont anticipates a good crowd. While reserved seating has been assigned to students and teachers, there will be seats available. There is no cost to attend and no tickets required.
Contact info: Chyrrea.J.Sebree@usa.dupont.com
