BLACK FAMILY REUNION STRESSES HERITAGE, UNITY

A woman strolled slowly through University Center glancing over African-style clothing, decor and literature. She stopped to try on a sash made of ethnic material.

Her young granddaughter giggled. "You look like you're from Africa!" she said.

"I am, honey," her grandmother replied. "Didn't you know that?"

Her sense of heritage was part of this weekend's Black Family Reunion, sponsored by the River Heritage Coalition for Minority Affairs. The event featured a talent show, gospel concert, seminars, basketball games and a prayer brunch and will end today with a fellowship picnic at Capaha Park.

Organizers expect about 3,000 people to participate in the events. Some who visited Saturday were from the Bootheel, Northwestern Tennessee, Southern Illinois and Western Kentucky.

It's the reunion's second year. Last year, nationally known actors and performers visited. Dr. Benjamin Hooks, former executive director of the NAACP, headlined 1994's event and spoke at a prayer breakfast.

But some were disappointed by a smaller-than-expected turnout. Reunion chairman Calvin Bird, who co-chaired the event last year, said hot weather and lack of communication made for low attendance figures.

"Last year's event was outstanding," he said. "Pulling it off was nothing short of a miracle. But last year our biggest downfall was our inability to use local resources."

This year, about 100 local people and more than 125 churches and businesses contributed time, money, food, advertising and equipment to the Black Family Reunion. Co-chairman Lisa Lane said Procter & Gamble was the biggest sponsor.

The reunion is the Coalition for Minority Affairs' largest project each year. The coalition's other purpose is to help blacks network with each other and help people get in touch with agencies to fill their needs.

That goal goes along with this year's reunion theme -- "Fighting for the Family -- Each One Reach One." T-shirts sold Saturday featured a picture of two dark hands reaching for each other across the earth.

"When we started planning this, we wanted it to be a culturally-based educational weekend to express what we stand for," Lane said. "There are plenty of events that recognize other ethnic groups, but we weren't doing anything for our own people."

While she strongly supports the reunion, Lane said it shouldn't take such events to bring people together. There are programs existing in Cape Girardeau where blacks can meet each other and meet people of other races.

But the reunion is a start, and people like local NAACP President Dawn Evans appreciate the opportunity to get to know their neighbors. For example, Evans lived next door to Betty Mosley for years without realizing Mosley sewed African-style clothing at home.

On Saturday, Evans found her former neighbor selling African robes, fez hats and kofis inside University Center, and she bought three outfits.

"This is a chance for us, as members of a minority, to come together and fellowship," Evans said. "We're so used to just dealing with each other in passing, we don't really sit down and learn about each other."

Evans said forming relationships with others in the community, no matter what their race, will make better, safer lives for everyone.