The day that West Virginia celebrates its African-American heritage will culminate with a melodic presentation to honor one of its own.

Julian Woods, a Capitol High School junior and classical pianist, will perform in”A Musical Tribute to Rev. Leon Sullivan.”The hour-long show, a selection of classical scores and original compositions, begins at 5 p.m. Saturday, May 6, in The Cultural Center auditorium, 1900 Kanawha Blvd. East, Charleston.

The program is the final scheduled event of”Family Cultural Day at the Capitol.”The event, which will be spread between the Capitol Complex and The Cultural Center, is a cooperative effort between the Governor’s Office and the West Virginia University Extension Service, Shepherd College and West Virginia State College. The program is free and open to the public.

The centerpiece of the event is”A Slave Ship Speaks: The Wreck of the Henrietta Marie.”The exhibit is being sponsored by Gov. Cecil H. Underwood, All-Aid International Inc., West Virginia Division of Culture and History and General Motors.

The Rev. Leon Sullivan, a Charleston native and West Virginia State College graduate, is a renowned civil rights, religious and business leader. He founded Opportunities Industrialization Council (OIC), which is a network of 46 self-help skills training programs with affiliates in 19 countries. The company, which has program centers in Charleston, Huntington and Fairmont, trains unemployed persons in electronics, computers and banking.

Sullivan developed the”Sullivan Principles”while on the board of directors at General Motors. It demanded that”American multinationals pay all people equally, train non-whites for professional jobs and create an overall atmosphere of tolerance.”

He capitalized on his position at GM to force the company and others to divest themselves from South Africa until it ended its racial policies. His efforts eventually helped pressure the government to discontinue apartheid.

Sullivan was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor given to an American civilian. He has written four books, including his latest”Moving Mountains: The Principles and Purposes of Leon Sullivan.”He is working with the United States Agency for International Development (AID) to assist emerging democracies in Eastern Europe.

He has received more than 100 national and international awards. He and his wife, Grace, have been married for 50 years. They have three grown children.

Woods is an accomplished musician with experience on the piano, saxophone, violin and bass guitar. He was recently named West Virginia’s”2000 Youth of the Year”by the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

For more information about”Family Cultural Day at the Capitol,”contact Richard Fleisher or Heidi Payne at the WVU Extension Service’s Center for 4-H, and Youth, Family and Adult Development in Morgantown at (304) 293-2694.