Mary Wilson, former member of "The Supremes,"
is the United States Ambassador for Rhythm and Blues, one
of nine cultural ambassadors in the U.S. Department of State's
CultureConnect program.
Other cultural ambassadors under this program
are photographers Denyce Graves and Joel Meyerowitz, President
of the JFK Center Michael Kaiser, musicians Yo-Yo Ma and
Wynton Marsalis, author Frank McCourt, basketball player
Tracy McGrady, and actress Doris Roberts.
Ms. Wilson is traveling to Buenos Aires,
Montevideo and Sao Paulo from Oct. 1 to 9, where she will
be meeting and working with young singers and musicians
as well as performing under the auspices of CultureConnect.
Ms. Wilson will perform in Montevideo Oct. 4 at the Cine
Teatro and at the Hotel Conrad in Punta Del Este Oct. 5.
On Monday (Oct. 6) at 7 p.m. at the Radisson
Victoria Plaza Hotel, Ms. Wilson will give a motivational
speech, "Dare to Dream." And on Tuesday, she is
conducting a master class for young singers and traditional
Uruguayan candombe and murga groups at 12:30 p.m. at the
Alianza Theatre.
CultureConnect is an initiative whose goal
is to improve cross-cultural understanding internationally.
As an exchange program under the supervision of the Assistant
Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs
Patricia S. Harrison, CultureConnect focuses primarily on
young audiences, ages 12 to 25. Working with U.S. embassies
throughout the world and utilizing the talents represented
by people of diverse backgrounds and disciplines -- the
arts business, sports, government, politics, education --
CultureConnect ambassadors interact with young audiences
on several levels to address aspects of American culture
that look beyond the stereotypes.
The CultureConnect Ambassadors are a dedicated
group of people known throughout the world for excellence
in their field, who have demonstrated an interest and ability
to teach, mentor and work with young people. While overseas
they engage young people by undertaking projects in their
areas of expertise through clinics, performances, coaching
sessions, motivational speeches, master classes and leadership
training.
Through our embassies worldwide, the CultureConnect
ambassadors collaborate with leaders from business and industry,
the cultural arts, the government and the community to identify
ways to increase opportunities for young people via exchange
programs and school-to-school initiatives.
The CultureConnect program helps countries
strengthen their own cultural institutions, as well as build
sustainable linkages and relationships among American individuals
and institutions and their foreign counterparts.
