February 14, 2018
An entertaining educator
Around Town The Ninth Annual Ferguson Twilight Run takes place May 19. P.5
Community Voices By Larry Brown. P.2
School
Lusher Elementary celebrates 100 days of school. P.7
Food
Submitted photos Bobby Norfolk currently performs in many projects with the Black Repertory Theatre and hosted CBS’ “Gator Tales” from 1988 to 1994 out of St. Louis, for which he won three Emmys. The show focused on literacy, storytelling and character education.
Former host of ‘Gator Tales” looks back at a career of combining education, entertainment and storytelling in St. Louis By Charlotte Beard St. Louis is rich with talent, especially in the arts. Among this talent is St. Louis native and winner of three regional Emmy awards – Bobby Norfolk. Norfolk, who was once compared to “a skinny Bill Cosby or a clean Richard Pryor,” performs locally, nationally, and internationally. In addition to performing in many projects with the Black Repertory Theatre, the story performer hosted CBS’ “Gator Tales” from 1988 to 1994 out of St. Louis, for which he won the Emmys. The show focused on literacy, storytelling and character education. “This big group of people wanted to have a show on Channel 4 that would teach children about character traits without being preachy and didactic,” stated Norfolk. “So, they thought the storyteller could tell the story, and the kids would learn their lesson while they thought they were being entertained. It was not just teaching them education but also teaching them character traits, proper behavior, honesty, respect, teamwork and cooperation. We had 75 kids in the audience and we would pre-tape on Thursday morning. Then we would post-edit on Friday. It would air on Saturday morning. We were in a nice position with the Nielsen’s because we were before Pee-Wee Herman, and then Garfield
the Cat was afterwards.” “Children’s Theater at Bobby’s House,” another program he hosted for a year, also centered on the same values as “Gator Tales.” Norfolk shared, “That was surreal, because that one year, [the show] was nominated for an Emmy along with ‘Gator Tales.’ So, I was competing against myself. The people who
ran ‘Children’s Theater at Bobby’s House’ were with City Cable, in the old Sears building at Kingshighway.” Norfolk spoke to the collaboration of the “big group” behind “Gator Tales” that contributed to the impact on children’s education. “PREP [Personal Responsibility Education Program] started with the educators and committee of CEOs that [began] the project,” he said. “[The project] became a national movement. Everywhere I travel now, I see these schools, [that show] ‘National School of Character,’ or a ‘Character Plus School’ on the big banners when you walk into the school. On the marquee of a lot of schools [I have seen] ‘Character Word of the Week,’ [such as] honesty, respect, teamwork, and cooperation. So, it just mushroomed from that beginning. A lot of people nationally do not give St. Louis or ‘Gator Tales’ the credit for the ‘Character Plus movement’ becoming national but we know the truth.” Norfolk, who spent his early childhood years living in north city, an area that most referred to as The Ville, didn’t appear likely to talk before crowds because he stuttered. See ‘ENTERTAINING’ page 2
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Beat winter blues with a little help from Vitamin D & Simple seafood solutions for Lent P.9
Movie
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