Westside Story Newspaper – Online The News of The Empire – Sharing the Quest for Excellence
Naimah S. Allen
By Deborah Ealy
‘Our Children Sing’ is an annual program held in San Bernardino, CA on or around September 11th of each year. This event was founded by the late Alice F. Page, community leader, entrepreneur, and “peace major,” in September 2002. The “Our Children Sing’ program allows a venue for many of the talented youth in our schools, churches, and gang-riddled communities to come together in peace to celebrate one another without the fear of violence. In this world of grown-up wars, national rivalries, and teen and young adult gang violence, Alice believed that we should start our peace outreach by reaching out to our children while they are still young and impressionable and teach them how to work, play, fellowship, perform, and communicate with one another without resorting to violence.
After the devastating events of 9/11, Alice felt that she could no longer sit idly by without doing something, anything, to help in the fight against violence and in the push towards peace. She began her fight by reaching out to numerous public officials and people of influence in the city and state in an effort to bring about a National Day of Peace which would be observed annually on September 11; just one day of peace when there would be no guns, no violence, and no fighting.
Alice worked tirelessly to bring about peace and non-violence one step at a time, starting here in her own backyard. She measured her own success not by her own wealth or comfort, but by the lives she touched on a daily basis. Like the heroes of 911 she knew that she needed to do something to make the world a better place. She chose to put her words, her beliefs, her dreams into action and stepped forward with a plan to promote peace.
The ‘Our Children Sing’ program is coordinated by Vicki Lee, Homeless Liaison for San Bernardino City Unified School District. The event will be held at Norman F. Feldhym Library, 555 West 6th Street in San Bernardino on Saturday, September 12, 2015, at 3 p.m. The recipient of The Alice F. Page Award will be Beverly Earl from Catholic Charities, and special recognition will be given to The late Frances Montano from Ballet Folklorico who was faithful until she passed away.
This year’s participants include James Ramos supervisor 3rd District, Fajamora Fox, , Naimah S. Allen, Kya Gary, Pacific Cultural Club, Malichi Compton, Gloria Chavez and The Ballet Forklorico Cultural Group; New Hope Missionary Baptist Church Children’s Choir Cathedral of Praise International Ministries Dance Team; Arroyo Valley High school Marching Hawks, and San Bernardino High School Air Force Junior ROTC. They are not performing just to showcase their talents. They are not just dancing because their parents or friends are watching. They will not be just supporting another community event. No: they dance, they perform, they sing for peace.
