Variety is the spice of party

Clearwater's North Greenwood neighborhood hopes to fight stereotypes and encourage racial integration with the 13th annual May Festival and Music Fest.

By EILEEN SCHULTE
© St. Petersburg Times
published May 24, 2002

CLEARWATER -- This weekend's 13th annual Community May Festival and Music Fest 2002 promises to be a multicultural feast.

Clearwater's North Greenwood neighborhood rolls out the welcome mat Saturday for everyone from inside and outside the community to play flag football or join a two-on-two basketball tournament, listen to live music and watch African-American dance troupes.

"Outside people also come. It lets them come see what this community is all about," said Muhammad Abdur-Rahim, Clearwater's road and drainage supervisor.

"One year, 3,000 people came. I liked the way people were connecting," said Abdur-Rahim, who also is a board member of the African-American Leadership Council, which is sponsoring the event along with the city of Clearwater.

People of all races -- black, white, Asian and "especially Hispanic people this year" -- are invited into North Greenwood, a predominantly black community, Abdur-Rahim said, because "that's what it's all about, people coming in and enjoying themselves."

"The community has been dealing with an image that it's drug-ridden and that it's not economically sound and that we don't have the services other communities have," Abdur-Rahim said. "But I live there and I wouldn't live anywhere else."

Years ago, organizers chose Memorial Day weekend for the event because "we not only have the opportunity to reflect back, but we're just coming out of spring and going into a hot summer and this will balance and refresh our spirit," Abdur-Rahim said.

In addition to music and sports, activities will include children's games, a dunk tank, food vendors and a community health fair offering free health tests courtesy of the Greenwood Community Health Resource Center. There will be screenings for cholesterol, diabetes and sickle cell anemia as well as blood pressure and body mass checks.

The health resource center will give out free hot dogs, hamburgers, popcorn and soda.

Because of extensive construction work underway on Greenwood Avenue, the festival this year has been moved to Russell and Holt streets in Clearwater.

A stage will be set up at the Greenwood Panthers ball field where acts and individual singers such as Oliver "The Jam Man," Shatia Filer, YLC, Todd Larry, Klassy Kids, the Cherry Harris Steppers, R.J., Steve Bell, Shara Johnson, H20 Boyz and Elijah McGill are scheduled to perform.

"It's a little taste of everything," Abdur-Rahim said.

If you go

The Greenwood Community May Festival and Music Fest will be from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday along Russell and Holt streets in Clearwater. The springtime street fair will feature 25 vendors selling ceramics, clothing, fragrances, artwork, live entertainment, children's activities, a health fair and food. Admission is free.

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