The beautiful Charles H. Wright Museum begins to echo with words of greetings and love, as Satori Shakoor, a Moth Mainstage storyteller, actress, and host of the night’s event, plays Busiest Woman in the World. “Hi! Happy birthday!” Shakoor exclaims, embracing one of the women surrounding the theatre doors. The woman then looks over to me with the widest of smiles. “Hey, gorgeous, how are ya,” she shouts with sincere adoration, bringing me into a warm hug. A lady I’ve never met before is wrapping her arms around me like family at a reunion; this is the kind of community The Secret Society of Twisted Storytellers advocates.
We wade through the crowd, making plenty of stops to greet familiar faces. Local Detroit vendors line the circular lobby, selling everything from handmade jewelry and soaps to “Detroit Snob” printed apparel. One vendor in particular, family-run Jetta’s Gourmet Popcorn, garners the attention of many of the attendees. “I got the Olive Oil Lightly Salted… At first, I thought it’d be kind of bland, but actually, it’s really good!” Julie Owens, attendee raves.
As we take our conversation to a bench away from the hustle and bustle, Shakoor tells me the history of the event; how she started touring the country with the Peabody Award Winning “The Moth,” spoke in front of audiences, and how wonderful it was to be heard and met with tremendous applause. “I knew, coming back to Detroit, that this was my calling,” Shakoor says with conviction. “Is that mascara waterproof? ‘Cause you’re gonna need it!” With that, we rush the hostess to the stage.
Tonight’s theme: “SOCIAL JUSTICE!” Speakers and performers from different walks of life, all with stories to tell and experiences to share, have prepared something special for this evening. The audience consists of, not only local Detroit residents, but some having driven from Georgia, Maryland, and Virginia. Shakoor welcomes us all and the show begins. The first performer, on piano, is the legendary Edward Gooch, playing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” later accompanied by singer, Francine Dent, with a song she wrote in the 80s following the theme of the night.
Among the first speakers are The Power of Girlhood founder, Ber-Henda Williams, and transgender advocate speaker, Shorty. Their stories of trials in their youth are followed by another woman’s story, spiritual artist, GODIS, who explains how her own experiences growing up led her to express herself through her fashion line, TOTAL K’OS. She introduces her models one by one, repeating their names in encouragement as they dance fluidly in her designs, some of them transforming the pieces into new ones, showing their versatility.
A brief intermission and a dance number begins. Tyra Johnson and Ronald Moore of the Marygrove College Dance Company perform an emotional number choreographed in tribute to Trayvon Martin. This leaves the audience in awe as Commander Dale Brown, founder of the noble Threat Management Center, takes his place on stage to speak of the experience that changed his life and inspired him to create the ECLECTIKAN Survival System. The last speaker is Paster Bill Wylie Kellerman, who talks about his many protests against corrupted politics, people nodding their heads and responding to his words as if they were in church.
As the night comes to a close, I am left with something Shakoor had said at the opening. I leave it with you now, as I proclaim that The Secret Society of Twisted Storytellers accomplishes exactly what it seeks out to do: to bring humanity together and uplift Detroit in love and respect for each other as neighbors and family. “It takes one person – just one person to start – to make us all free.”
The Secret Society of Storytellers performs regularly at the Charles H. Wright Museum at 315 Wareen Avenue in Detroit Michigan. There next event is entitled Ties That Bind on April 18, 2014. For further information and tickets, visit their website at: www.secretstorytellers.com or call 313-744-6037
Article Published by Lex Marie.
