On February 28, Broad Run’s English Department & PEN English Honor Society hosted our 10th annual African American Read-in. It’s a great way to appreciate African American culture and embrace it. There were many performances like reading poetry, singing, and playing instruments. It was all very pleasing to listen to. There was also a special speaker named E. Ethelbert Miller. 

Ethelbert Miller is an extraordinary poet. He’s a literary activist, educator, and American poet. He has two memoirs and a lot of poetry collections. He won many awards and honors for his contributions to literature. Did I mention that he’s a Grammy nominee? Senior Maryam Imran described her favorite part, “my favorite part of the Read-In was probably our guest speaker’s speech. He did a wonderful job and was truly a pleasure to listen to.” She also shared her thoughts on E. Ethelbert Miller. “I find Mr. Miller’s presence is extremely enjoyable. His words were beautiful and his story was inspiring. I’d love for him to visit us again in the future.” What an amazing special speaker he was! We were very lucky to have him at Broad Run. 

There were a lot of lovely acts like musical, instrumental, and poetry! It was enjoyable to watch and listen to. Imran explains why she chose Caged Bird by Maya Angelou. “I thought that it was a beautiful poem that encompassed the struggles of African Americans as well as many other minorities–as a person of color myself, I found it relatable, to an extent.” Woah, it’s so cool that there were many entertaining acts! Imran also mentions her thoughts on the other acts. “I thoroughly enjoyed the other acts. Poems were recited and pieces read that I had never heard before, meaning that for me, the event was both educational and exciting.” The Broad Run Jazz Ensemble Musical performance performed Dancing In The Streets by Martha & the Vandellas. Plus, the Broad Run Combined Choirs performed a stand-up act by Joshua Campbell.