By MICHELLE D. ANDERSON
The UNITY News Online

CORRECTION: In the seventh paragraph, the southeast Asian performance group was incorrectly referred to as “Mong.” Their correct name is “Hmong.”

Among the vibrant costumes and sacred dancing, Wednesday’s opening ceremony was deeply rooted in important reminders about the craft of journalism.

“It’s entertainment, but it should also touch your heart,” said Carol Ash, a UNITY Board of Director member and a news producer at WMAQ-TV in Chicago. “It should excite you, and it should make you feel good.”

She said the ceremony also informs convention attendees about what they can expect in the next three days and showcases the variety of talent within each UNITY alliance organization.

“Too often people look for differences, and here’s a organization that looks to find common ground and build on that,” said Jeanne Mariani-Belding, president of the Asian American Journalists Association.

The drum has been used as a central theme that links all four organizations beginning with the first convention’s opening ceremony in 1994.

The performance by the Madison, Wis.-based cultural group Call for Peace Drum & Dance Co. mixed dance, traditional drums and contemporary music.

Drummers from each cultural group played music and joined dancers on stage. The ceremony featured performances by Native American dancers, a southeastern Asian Mong group and Mexican performers in Aztecan costumes, as well as an Ethiopian tale about the battle between truthfulness and falsehood.

The highly-acclaimed Peace Drum & Dance Co. has performed at the Fourth Global summit for the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates and during other notable events in several nations around the world.

While the opening ceremonies in during UNITY conventions in 1994, 1999 and 2004 seemed to convey a more festive and celebratory theme, the 2008 ceremony was overcast by the time tumultuous time in the industry, some previous attendees said.

Ron Carter, managing editor of The Carter Agency media firm, said he thought this year’s ceremony was more serious because of the perilous state of the industry. He said his first UNITY convention, the 2004 gathering in Washington, was a lot more festive.

topic: UNITY Convention
tags: Opening Ceremony, UNITY Convention

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