This program focuses on Sharon Raynor’s journey from NC to Dakar and Senegal, West Africa and the Cape Verde Islands located off the coast of Africa. Although these locations have different historical and cultural backgrounds, they share rich political and cultural histories. Raynor presents this experience from the perspective of an African American who journeys across the borders to her “homeland,” searching for a connection to her historical and cultural roots while in many regards being treated like an outsider. A significant part of this journey is the trip to Goree Island, an important center of the slave trade, as well as tours of the Maison des Esclaves (Slave House) and the Musee de la Femme (Museum of Women.) The connection between the slave culture in the southern United States and West Africa, especially Senegambia, is highlighted. The journey also included visiting Cidade Velha, reportedly the birthplace of Cape Verdean culture and the first Portuguese city in Africa, and Terrafal, a Portuguese prison for political dissidents during colonial times. This program includes a discussion of health, economics, education, and women’s issues with accompanying video footage and photographs of the impoverished developing areas to the beautiful black sand beaches.

Based on the "Breaking the Silence: The Unspoken Brotherhood of Vietnam Veteran," an oral history project highlighting the war experiences of Vietnam veterans in different parts of North Carolina, this presentation explores the concepts of trauma, silence, healing, and recovery. Ms Raynor served as project director for this NCHC grant. During this project, veterans who were once silenced by their memories of war shared their stories of indignities and pride, disappointment and sacrifice, honor and death, healing and recovery. Since this project evolved from her father's war experiences as seen and told in his photographs and diary kept during his tour of duty, this presentation will not only focus on his story but also on the stories of the community of veterans who once shared a strict code of unbreakable silence and who now have formed a brotherhood to heal their wounded souls. This presentation will also share the process that Ms. Raynor had to take to be accepted into this community of veterans and to gain their trust in order to record their stories. She will share with the audience videotape clips of the public forums excerpts from the oral history interviews, photographs and newspaper articles, and memorabilia from the war.

Download Dr. Sharon Raynor's Breaking the Silence: The Unspoken Brotherhood of Vietnam Veterans, the July, 2002 issue of NC Crossroads.

This presentation is focused on the exploration and identification of the "wild woman" and "bad girl" archetype in writings by women. This persona is often overlooked when studying women's issues because possessing the wild woman spirit is often viewed as negative. However, those warriors who possess the soul and instinctual nature of the wild woman have proven over time that society's attempt to silence and "civilize" the spirit has failed. Her untamed spirit wanders freely from generation to generation, from century to century, from community to community and in various literary works. This celebration is based on the extensive studies of the wild woman/bad girl archetype by various scholars. This celebration will reveal the beautiful power and strength of an intuitive creature that at her wildest generates her very best and through her warrior spirit we find our own.