Antonio Rocha brings storytelling talents to Waynflete to help celebrate Black History Month

In celebration of the art of storytelling and Black History Month, we were happy to have Antonio Rocha join us for a Lower School Assembly. This event was made possible by the Class of 1970 Guest Speaker and Visiting Artist Fund.

Having shared his storytelling talents in the community many times, Antonio is no stranger to Waynflete. Earlier this year, he joined 4-5 students as a contributor to their Immigration Study. This week, Antonio mesmerized the entire Lower School community as he personified animals in his telling of an African folktale, complete with dramatic expressions, gestures, and sound effects. His performance culminated in a moral that reminds us that we all have more in common than we have differences and that in our hearts, we are all brothers and sisters and to approach that which is unfamiliar to us with open minds and open eyes.

Extending our knowledge of Black History, Antonio talked about the Berlin Conference of 1884 and shared a page from his tattered 1905 atlas, reflecting the boundaries that were the result of European colonization of Africa as determined by that conference ten years prior (and the lasting effects of colonization on Africa today).

We are fortunate to have Antonio as a resource as both an educator and entertainer. Lower School children and faculty alike responded to his dynamic energy and approachable personality, and we look forward to the next time we can connect with Antonio. We are grateful to the Waynflete Class of 1970 to provide the resources for this assembly through their generous gift to the school for visiting artists and guest speakers. We look forward to more.