THIS WEEK WE CONTINUE HONORING THE YWCA WOMEN OF VISION AWARD RECIPIENTS. TODAY WE SIT DOWN WITH THE MCCULLOUGH SALEEM, WHO IS BEING HONORED WITH THE COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT CHAMPION AWARD. THE ARTS BRING TO EVERY GENERATION A RENEWAL OF YOURSELF OR FINDING PARTS OF YOURSELF THAT YOU DID NOT KNOW OR DEVELOP THE BEST OF HUMAN CAPACITY. AMAZULU SALEEM WAS BORN IN WINSTON-SALEM IN 1931, WHEN SHE WAS 12 YEARS OLD. SHE MOVED TO NEW YORK CITY TO LIVE WITH HER MOTHER. SHE WAS EXPOSED TO THE ARTS IN A VERY BIG WAY BY A FAMILY FRIEND WHO WORKED AT THE APOLLO THEATER. SO I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE DUKE ELLINGTON, COUNT BASIE. SARAH VAUGHAN, ALL OF THE GREATS. AND THE WHOLE SHOW, THE DANCING, THE MUSIC, THE DRAMA WAS JUST FASCINATING TO ME. AND IT WAS ONE SHOW IN PARTICULAR SHE SAW THERE THAT YOU COULD SAY CHOREOGRAPHED THE STEPS SHE WOULD TAKE MOVING FORWARD. WELL, I SAW KATHERINE DUNHAM AND THEN I LATER HEARD SHE HAD A STUDIO IN NEW YORK. SO I FOUND HER STUDIO ON 43RD STREET AND BROADWAY, AND I REGISTERED AS A STUDENT. AND I BEGAN TO STUDY DANCE WITH THE KATHERINE DUNHAM TECHNIQUE. SHE LIVED HER DREAM FOR YEARS, LIVING IN EUROPE FOR ABOUT A DECADE. WHEN SHE CAME BACK TO THE UNITED STATES, THE WORLD WAS CHANGING. ONE OF THE REASONS I CAME BACK WAS BECAUSE OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. WE WOULD KIND OF KEEP UP WITH WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE UNITED STATES BY READING EBONY AND JET AND THOSE MAGAZINES AND THEY TALKED ABOUT MARTIN LUTHER KING AND THE MOVEMENT. SO IT GAVE US THE IDEA THAT, OH, FINALLY, WE’RE GOING TO HAVE FREEDOM, REAL FREEDOM, NO MORE SEGREGATION. SO THAT WAS WONDERFUL TO ME. I THAT WAS ONE OF MY REASONS FOR COMING BACK TO NEW YORK CITY, THAT IN 1971 IT WAS BACK TO HER HOMETOWN OF WINSTON-SALEM TO TEACH AT THE LOCAL REC CENTER, INTRODUCING KIDS TO A WHOLE NEW WORLD. THE ARTS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO ESPECIALLY FOR CHILDREN, BECAUSE IT GIVES THEM CONFIDENCE. IT GIVES THEM SKILLS OF PERSONAL SKILLS, TEAMWORK, HOW TO CREATE, HOW TO BE CREATIVE. IN 1989, SHE EARNED A DEGREE IN DANCE STUDIES AT EMPIRE STATE COLLEGE AND STARTED A SECOND CAREER AS A STORYTELLER, TOUCHING A LOT OF LIVES ALONG THE WAY. WHEN I MEET SOMEONE WHO SAYS, OH, HELLO, MR. MCCULLOUGH, I USED TO BE IN YOUR DANCE CLASS AND THEY’RE A TEACHER, OR THEY’RE IN SOME KIND OF BUSINESS OR THEY’VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR LIVES. SO TO ME, THAT’S THE GREATEST CONTRIBUTION THAT I COULD GIVE HER. SHE’S BEEN RETIRED SINCE 2008, BUT SHE HAS NOT STOPPED MOVING. AND SHE HAS HIGH HOPES FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS IN THE YEARS AHEAD. I HOPE THAT IN THE FUTURE THE ARTS WILL BE SUPPORTED MORE AND INCLUDED MORE IN THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM THAT THAT THE ARTIST WILL NOT HAVE TO STRUGGLE SO MUCH BECAUSE THE ARTIST NEEDS THE PEOPLE AND THE PEOPLE NEED THE ARTISTS. HER CAREER HAS TAKEN HER ALL OVER THE WORLD, BUT MCCULLOUGH SAYS THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME, AND THERE’S NOTHING LIKE THE ARTS TO MAKE US FEEL HOPEFUL ABOUT. TOMORROW, WE NEED SOMETHING NOW TO ALMOST RESCUE US FROM WHAT’S HAPPENING IN OUR STREETS AND OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR CHURCHES. WE NEED TO COME BACK TO THE REAL REALITY OF WHO GOD IS AND HOW HOW WE’VE BEEN BLESSED TO BE ON THIS EARTH. WHAT AN AMAZING LADY. ALL THE YWCA WOMEN OF VISION RECIPIENTS WILL BE HONORED AT A SPECIAL EVENT THIS THURSDAY, JUNE 1ST. THAT EVENT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT, GO TO WOF