Queen Nur Captivates North Hills Children

Sponsored by The Friends of Upper Dublin Public Library, North Hills Community Center opened its doors to the public for an hour of storytelling through traditional African tales, song and dance.

“[Queen Nur] got those kids enraptured right from the get-go,” coordinator of the event, Barbara McNutt said.

Township manager Paul Leonard also attended the event and thought the kids loved it, he said.

Over thirty youth from North Hills were in attendance for the event, the majority of them being a part of the Homework Help program that is hosted Monday-Thursday at the community center.

McNutt, head of Youth Services, came across Queen Nur while browsing entertainment options on tellintales.com, she said.

“I read her background and history,” McNutt said, “She sounded like she would be really good. I had faith that she would be good.”

Queen Nur immediately grabbed the children’s attention with her first story, an Aesop fable about a mouse named “Iymaani.”

Accompanied by musician Dwight James on percussion, Queen Nur instructed the children to dance and sing along.

“They might call me teeny-tiny, but in my mind I’m mighty, mighty,” she sang.

Throughout the storytelling, Queen Nur provided background into African American history.

“We must step up to the plate and say we are mighty, mighty, and we are a mighty, mighty people,” Queen Nur said, “We’re celebrating Black History month, but I tell you, you should celebrate your history every single day.”

This aspect was something that McNutt personally enjoyed, she said.

Other stories included facts about prominent black figures and scientists.

Queen Nur began her profession in storytelling approximately 19 years ago, inspired by her own children to carry out the African oral tradition, she said.

“A whole world opens up in understanding African culture [through storytelling],” Queen Nur said.

A graduate of Abington High School, Queen Nur started writing poetry at the age of nine while her father wrote music to accompany her writing, she said.

She earned a B.S. from Northeastern University, a Certificate in Dispute Resolution from Harvard Law and has taken courses in African-American Studies and Folklore at Temple University and the University of Pennsylvania.

Queen Nur currently teaches storytelling at Rutgers Camden’s Artist/Teacher Institute, and has performed on numerous occasions.

“She had great credentials,” McNutt said.

This is the first event that North Hills has hosted for Black History month, she added, and hopes to have Queen Nur visit again in the future.