Press release from The Joseph Initiative, Inc.:
The Joseph Initiative is excited to announce that Harriet Ray will be the featured storyteller at the organization’s “What’s Your Story?” Storytelling Event, to be held at Lenoir Rhyne University on Thursday, July 19 from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. A children’s story time will be held from 5:00 to 5:30 p.m., followed by a light dinner. The adult storytelling portion of the evening will begin at 6:00 p.m., during which time Mrs. Ray will tell her story and talk about her experiences with the Civil Rights movement in Asheville.
“Our theme for July’s event is this history of the civil rights movement in Asheville,” states The Joseph Initiative’s Executive Director, Karen Cowan. She adds, “Harriet Ray has an incredible story to tell and we want to share it with members of our community.
Born in Madison County, NC, and a graduate of Stephens-Lee and Livingston College, Harriet Ray is a retired educator from the Asheville City School System. Mrs. Ray’s love for mathematics was infectious. She was a teacher at William Randolph Elementary School as well as Ira B. Jones. Mrs. Ray also taught science and history to the academically gifted at UNCA during summers. She is a member of and pianist for the Nazareth Baptist Church. Mrs. Ray comes from a history of community activists and civil rights leaders. Her great-grandmother’s work is currently featured in a museum. She is a beacon in this community for education, change and equality.
The Joseph Initiative’s storytelling events are designed to bring together all the members of our community by allowing them to see we all have stories to share. “It’s our way of fostering a community that looks out for one another,” says Cowan.
To attend, anyone interested should RSVP on The Joseph Initiative’s website at https://josephcommunitycenter.org/storytelling. For more information, contact Karen Cowan at 828-691-5603 or Karen@JosephCommunityCenters.org.
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