2006 Press Releases
African-American author Sharon Flake participates in Celebrity Reader Initiative
November 2, 2006
On November 1, the U.S. Embassy continued its Celebrity Reader Program at Woodcock Primary School with special visit from African American Author, Sharon Flake. Her visit to The Bahamas was organized by the Minister of Education’s Book of the Month Club. Ms. Flake is a noted author of children’s literature and her novel, The Skin I’m In, (Hyperion Paperbacks for Children, New York, 1998), has appeared on the Minister’s Book of the Month Club’s reading list and was well received. Ms. Flake was accompanied by Mrs. Frances Singer-Haywood, patron of the Minister's Book Club; Mrs. Patricia Collins, Deputy Director of Education and Mrs. Delores Kellman-Jones. Deputy Chief of Mission, Dr. D. Brent Hardt hosted Ms. Flake at the reading event.
Mrs. Patrice Astwood McDonald, Cochairman/Mamie E.L. Astwood Foundation for Excellence in Educational Pursuits and Mrs. Dorothy Baker, Secretary of the Honorary Consular Corps also participated as Celebrity Readers. Mrs. Astwood McDonald read to a third grade class, while Mrs. Baker read the story of Pinocchio to a combined group of grade one students, using puppets to illustrate the story.
During the school visit, Ms. Flake read excerpts of her book, “The Skin I’m In”, to a class of fifth grade students who also got an opportunity to ask Ms. Flake about her career as an author. Ms. Flake joins a notable list of “Celebrity Readers” to date who have participated in the program, the brainchild of U.S. Ambassador John D. Rood.
Since its inception, Celebrity Readers have included Permanent Secretaries Mr. Archie Nairn and Mrs. Camille Johnson; Mr. Vernon Burrows, Director of Immigration; Junkanoo Leaders, Gus Cooper, Percy ‘Vola’ Francis, Mrs. Arlene Nash-Ferguson, and Jackson Burnside; Educator, Dr. Rhonda Chipman-Johnson; Businessmen Mr. Gershon Major and Mr. Peter Gilcud; journalists Jessica Robertson, Lindsay Thompson, Vaughnique Toote and former ZNS News Anchor, Judy Hamilton; entertainer, Ronnie Butler, athlete Chris Brown, actor, Sir Sean Connery, and Mr. David McGrath, Honorary Consul for Panama.