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They craned their necks and readied their cameras long before actor Morris Chestnut took the stage at the 10th annual I’ll Make Me a World in Iowa festival.
Chestnut, who is popular for movies like “Two Can Play That Game” and “Perfect Holiday,” had hearts pounding and eyes trained on stage entrances more than an hour before he took the stage with Betty Andrews, the festival’s executive director.
Police officers and festival workers pleaded with the young women near the stage to stay back, but when Chestnut appeared, the crowd surged forward with their cell phone cameras held high above their heads.
“I’m over here! Just come over here!” yelled a teen girl near the front of the stage at the Polk County Convention Complex on Saturday.
Chestnut, gospel group Tri-in-tee 5:7, and dozens of performers, exhibits and vendors drew thousands to the growing festival, which celebrates black culture and blacks’ contributions to Iowa.
“So what do you think of Iowa?” Andrews asked Chestnut.
“All these beautiful black people in Iowa — I’m going to start spreading the word,” Chestnut said, surveying the packed auditorium.
“Iowa definitely did its job in helping (presidential hopeful Sen. Barack) Obama,” Chestnut said. “Congratulations for that because right now I believe our country is on the verge of history and when people reflect back in that history, they’re going to see that it started right here in Iowa with Obama.”
Spectators screamed and cheered during Chestnut’s speech, which included crowd-generated questions about his life and movie career. The actor serves as producer for his next movie, “Not Easily Broken,” which is directed by Bill Duke.
“In acting, you never stop learning,” Chestnut said. “Hopefully, my work will show my dedication to my craft.”
Andrews asked Chestnut if there are differences between how black and white actors are regarded in Hollywood.
“Hollywood gives a lot of opportunities to white actors than African-American actors because most of the public is white,” Chestnut said. “So they have to cater to the masses so to speak.”
However, Chestnut said things are improving in Hollywood for black actors.
“Things are getting better for us,” he said. “In the last six years we’ve had Don Cheadle, Terrence Howard and Jamie Foxx all nominated for an Academy Award so things are definitely changing for the better.”
Chestnut, who said he dreamed of playing football for the NFL as a youngster, told the crowd to persevere to achieve their dreams. As he left the stage, a long line stretched across the auditorium for autographs.
Alex Franklin, 16, of Des Moines, listened to Chestnut and spent the day meandering about the vendors, exhibits and watching performances.
“I just like everything,” Franklin said, looking around the auditorium. ” It’s just a good thing for black people.”
Franklin, Shireena Taylor, 15, and Taylor English, 13, agreed one of the things they most liked about Saturday’s festival was the Black Inventor’s Exhibit.
“They had some lungs and a heart where you could play with it,” Franklin said.
Photo cutline: (center left) Betty Andrews and Morris Chestnut.
Photo cutline from left: Taylor English, 13, Shireena Taylor, 15, Alex Franklin, 16.
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