BTW grads embrace President Obama's message

President Barack Obama delivers a rousing message to Booker T. Washington graduates at the Memphis Cook Convention Center while their principal,  Alisha Kiner, looks on. (Photos by Wiley Henry)

   It was Christopher Dean's proudest moment. The Booker T. Washington graduate got the opportunity of a lifetime when he introduced the President of the United States of America to the graduating Class of 2011 at the Memphis Cook Convention Center.
    He stood bold and confident on the same stage with the most powerful leader of the "free world" and announced: "Ladies and gentlemen, the speaker of the Booker T. Washington High School Class of 2011 Commencement Exercise, the President of the United States: President Barack Obama."
    Still cameras flashed and TV cameras rolled to capture that moment on May 16, before a capacity crowd of 3,000, when President Obama embraced the young man whose anguish was reflected in the winning video that he'd selected in the Race to the Top Commencement Challenge.

Christopher Dean introduces the President of the USA. 

    This time Christopher was smiling and proud to be a "warrior" -- BTW's mascot -- so were 149 other graduating seniors who beat the odds despite having to live and attend school in an area of South Memphis that is often beset by poverty and crime.
    President Obama understood their struggle and celebrated their triumph, saying, "If success can happen here at Booker T. Washington, it can happen anywhere in Memphis. And if it can happen in Memphis, it can happen anywhere in Tennessee. And if it can happen anywhere in Tennessee, it can happen all across America."
    Some of the graduates were arrayed in green caps and gowns, others in yellow. They understood what the President was conveying. They listened intently, wept with joy, and focused their attention on the first black president who came to Memphis to give them the presidential seal of approval for their hard-fought success.
    "We are here today because every one of you stood tall and said, 'Yes, we can. Yes, we can learn. Yes, we can succeed,'" he told the ecstatic graduates. "You decided you would not be defined by where you come from but by where you want to go, by what you want to achieve, by the dreams you hope to fulfill."
     Christopher hopes to fulfill his dreams and vowed they would not be deferred just because he's from South Memphis. The President's message was the catapult that he and the others needed to get them to the next phase in life.
    "Yes, you’re from South Memphis," the President said. "Yes, you’ve always been underdogs. Nobody has handed you a thing. But that also means that whatever you accomplish in your life, you will have earned it. Whatever rewards and joys you reap, you’ll appreciate them that much more because they will have come through your own sweat and tears, products of your own effort and your own talents."
    Ashley Woodard liked what she heard -- and especially seeing President Obama up close and personal. "I liked the stuff he was saying in his speech," the 18-year-old said. She is planning to attend Tennessee State University.
     The day for Ricky Roberts, also 18, will no doubt last a lifetime. "I was happy," he said. His father, just as eager to see the President himself, understood why his son was beaming as bright as sunlight in a galaxy containing the biggest star.
    "I was already proud that he's graduating," Ricky Roberts I said about his son. "But I was more proud that the President was here."
    It was a moving and emotional experience for the entire family, said Roberts, a BTW graduate himself. "My son's aunts, uncle and sister graduated from Booker T. Washington as well," he said.
    Courtney Taylor, Ricky's 22-year-old sister, graduated from BTW in 2007. The commencement speaker for her class was not as famous as the President, didn't arrive in Air Force One, and didn't need Secret Service protection.
    It would have been a grand experience, she said, if President Obama had been the commencement speaker for the Class of 2007. Nevertheless, she's happy for her brother.
    "It was a long time coming," said Courtney. "We should have had him from the jump. We needed him to tell us to go to school instead of roaming the streets. You see, it's possible."

Vocalist Toni Green to headline 18th annual Juneteenth festival

            In the South Memphis community where Stax Records spun its way to chart-topping success, the sweet sound of soul music would have to be attributed to the early label mates who grew up in and around the area now known as Soulsville USA: Isaac Hayes, David Porter, Rufus and Carla Thomas, Maurice and Verdine White, and others.

            Where Trigg and Florida intersect, another rising star in the Soulsville area was honing her vocal skills at school talent shows, clubs, and elsewhere for recognition and a pittance. It didn’t take any arm-twisting, however, for Isaac Hayes and other superstars to realize that Toni Green was key to their success as a back up singer. The memories, she says, are still fresh in her mind.

            In the meantime, the songstress would go on to record numerous solo projects and make a name for herself in the U.S. and Europe. She is scheduled to perform in June at the 18th Annual Juneteenth Freedom & Heritage Festival in Douglass Park, in North Memphis, and in Porretta Terme, Italy, at the Porretta Soul Festival in July.

            “Isn’t that something!” says Green, thrilled that she will receive top billing at this year’s Juneteenth festival featuring a plethora of musical acts from June 17-19: R & B, hip-hop, old school, classical, Neosoul, and gospel.

            Green also performed at Juneteenth in 2008. She was tapped this time to headline the roster of talent at this year’s salute to the nation’s historically Black Greek Letter Organizations collectively referred to as “The Divine Nine,” a phrase coined by author Lawrence C. Ross Jr.

            The Divine Nine is comprised of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity.

            The group is also a collaborative of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, Inc., an umbrella organization formed May 10, 1930, on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C., and incorporated in 1937 in the state of Illinois. The headquarters is located in Decatur, Ga.

            “For African Americans on black college and university campuses, it’s (Black Greek Letter Organizations) a way to set yourself apart,” says Glynn Johns-Reed, founder of the Juneteenth Freedom & Heritage Festival. “The root of the organization is to uplift the black community. [And] I still see that and a lot of involvement in the community as relevant today.”

            Aside from the entertainment component of Juneteenth, there will be ample food vendors, games, exhibits, horseback rides, kiddy rides, and more. Douglass Park is located at Chelsea Avenue at N. Holmes Street. Admission to the park is free.

            For more information, log on to www.juneteenthmemphis.org or email Glynn Johns-Reed at juneteenthmemphis@msn.com, or call 901-385-4943.

More about Toni Green...

           

            The soul in Green’s voice was first heard and cultivated in Soulsville. She was 13 when she debuted on the Hi London label. But it was her vocal maturation that propelled her forward, although her voice, music and stage presence, she says, could be attributed to the legendary Stax artists who paved a way for her.

            “I grew up in the music world,” says Green, who was surrounded by the music of cousins John Garry and Dickie Williams of the Mad Lads, one of Stax’s successful groups, and her father, a jazz singer “who had a voice like Nat King Cole.”

            As a budding vocalist, Green sang at her mother’s social club and at high school talent shows at Southside, where she graduated, Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver. “That’s where you knew who were the best sopranos, tenors, vocalists, groups and bands,” she says.

            Her vocal coaches, she adds, were the best in the world. She studied at the Juilliard School of Arts in New York and has a range of seven octaves. “We were taught to sing correctly as opposed to getting on stage half way. You had to be correct.”

            Green sings blues, jazz, gospel, country & western, rhythm & blues, and a little hip-hop, but describes the music she’s making today as “the big band sound” or “Southern Soul,” which is a melding of various genres.              

            Hayes wasn’t the only superstar who recognized Green’s vocal mastery. She sang with him on his successful Hot Buttered Soul tour and went on to back up or work with such luminaries as the Bar-Kays, Luther Ingram, Millie Jackson, Dennis Edwards, Marvel Thomas, Jean “Bowlegs” Miller, The Memphis Horns, The Doobies, Tennie Hodges, and many more.

            In 1998, Green went solo with her first compilation of songs on the CD “Mixed Emotions.” Produced by Quinton Claunch’s Soultrax imprint, the CD was infused with the Memphis sound. In 2002, she released another CD called “Strong Enough” on Good Time Records, a third disc in 2003 called “Southern Soul Music,” and yet another one in 2006. Then she released a two-song CD in 2009 with Willie Mitchell overseeing production.

            Green’s discography -- about 10 full-length CDs in addition to the Mitchell-produced, two-song CD -- is just one half of her contribution to music. Although it’s the half that launched and sustains her career, the other half, she says, is devoted to charity and teaching school children the art of music as a producer, writer, bandleader and performer.

            “I’m giving back,” says Green. “I’ll go to the elderly homes and sing for them, and I’m hoping to be an inspiration to young people.” After she touches down in Italy, and stays in the country for one-to-two months, “I will be teaching stage presence and performance.”

            What may come as a surprise to Green’s fans is that she has a degree in special education and a degree in corrections. She has classroom experience in both the Shelby County Schools and the Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville.

            Never one to rest on her laurels, Green keeps a full schedule nonetheless, but always mindful of where she’d honed her skills.

            Fans would be surprised as well to learn that Green handles her own business affairs. “I’m my own person, because I haven’t found anybody to work as hard as I do,” she says. “I work overtime. I do what I got to do.”

            By the way, part of the work that consumes Green’s time is being a mother. She has two adult daughters and an adult son in college. One of her daughters is a mother; and the other, a college student.

            The road to success hadn’t been that easy, says Green, adding, “For every door that was shut on me, here comes God with another plan.”

            Green is still following that plan -- wherever it leads her.

            “I’m a praying woman and I’m blessed.”

Additional Green tidbits...

            Green is hyped about the performance this year in Douglass Park, an outdoor community event that draws thousands of festivalgoers. She has also performed at other outdoor venues such as the Umbria Blues and Jazz Festival in Orvieto, Italy, the Africa in April Cultural Awareness Festival and Firehouse Black Arts Alliance, both in Memphis, and a Juneteenth festival in Louisville, Ky.

            Green has received numerous accolades, kudos, citations and awards. In 2008, the Nantucket Dreamland Foundation in Kentucky tapped Green for its “Female Artist of the Year.” In 2009, she was the recipient of the W.C. Handy Heritage Award, an annual salute to authentic Beale Street musicians.

            In 2010, the Memphis Music Foundation presented Green with the Emissary Award. That same year she received the Jus’ Blues Award for “Producer of the Year” from the Jus’ Blues Music Foundation. She is nominated again this year in two categories for Jus’ Blues Awards, which will be decided by the number of votes cast by industry professionals and the general public. Votes can be cast on line at www.jusbluesmusicfoundation.org.

            The stage has been the foundation upon which Green has succeeded in the music industry. It is not a surprise that she would lend her talent to writing and singing jingles for Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonald’s, Chevron Mobile, and others for Allen-Martin Productions, Inc. in Louisville. She also wrote the theme song for the City of Louisville, and was voted “Best Female Vocalist of the Year” for three consecutive years. Louisville’s mayor and the governor of Kentucky honored her as well.

            Green is set to return to the studio to record her 12th CD. She already envisions it a rousing success. 

Juneteenth Salutes ‘The Divine Nine’ in 2011

             The Greek Alphabet and its numerical influence may be a little too difficult for some people to comprehend, but its English equivalent has become the hallmark and symbol of social, ethical, scholastic, and economic standards for the nation’s  historically Black Greek Letter Organizations collectively referred to as “The Divine Nine.”

            The fraternities and sororities comprising The Divine Nine are: Alpha  Phi Alpha Fraternity, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity.  

            The Divine Nine, a phrase coined by author Lawrence C. Ross Jr. in his book “The Divine Nine: The History of African-American Fraternities and Sororities,” will be saluted in 2011 during the 18th annual Juneteenth Freedom & Heritage Festival in historic Douglass Park in North Memphis.

            The three-day festival will kick off June 17-19 and feature a plethora of entertainment (poets, performing artists, storytellers), musical acts (R & B, hip-hop, old school, classical, Neosoul, and gospel), food vendors, games, exhibits, horseback rides, kiddy rides, and more.

            Admission to the park is free.

            Glynn Johns-Reed, founder of the Juneteenth Freedom & Heritage Festival, said the Divine Nine continues to play an integral part in shaping the lives and future of African Americans on college and university campuses and beyond. Its principals and ideals are still relevant today, she said.

            “For African Americans on black college and university campuses, it’s (Black Greek Letter Organizations) a way to set yourself apart,” said Johns-Reed. “The root of the organization is to uplift the black community. [And] I still see that and  a lot of involvement in the community as relevant today.”

            Although other Greek letter organizations are thriving just as well, Johns-Reed said the Black Greek letter fraternities and sororities were founded out of necessity to combat racial discrimination and segregation, and promote unity, camaraderie, academic excellence, interaction, and community service.

            Last year in July, Delta Sigma Theta held its convention in New Orleans, which confirmed Johns-Reed’s belief that fraternities and sororities have been true to their mission statement. "They made a major impact in New Orleans,” she said. “And wherever these sisterhood and brotherhood organizations go and whatever they do, they will make an impact.”

            The Divine Nine is also a collaborative of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, Inc., an umbrella organization formed May 10, 1930, on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C., and incorporated in 1937 in the state of Illinois. The headquarters is located in Decatur, Ga.

            According to the Council’s Web site, each member organization maintains its autonomy, “strategic direction, and program agenda.” The Council still abides by its 1930 mission: “Unanimity of thought and action as far as possible in the conduct of Greek letter collegiate fraternities and sororities, and to consider problems of mutual interest to its member organizations.” 

            Most people have never heard of The Divine Nine, Johns-Reed opined. “This (the Juneteenth Freedom & Heritage Festival) will  be an opportunity for Memphis to learn more about them. I feel good about the decision that we made to honor them next year.”

            For more information, contact Glynn Johns-Reed at 901-385-4943.

A Few Facts About The Divine Nine:

            • Alpha  Phi Alpha Fraternity, founded Dec. 4, 1906, and incorporated in 1908; Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. Official Colors: Black and Old Gold. Official Symbol: Sphinx. Official Web Site: www.alphaphialpha.net. National Headquarters: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.; 2313 Saint Paul Street; Baltimore, MD  21218. According to the official Web site, “The objectives of Alpha  Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. are to stimulate the ambition of its members; to prepare them for the greatest usefulness in the cause of humanity, freedom, and dignity of the individual; to encourage the highest and noblest form of manhood; and to aid downtrodden humanity in its efforts to achieve higher social, economic, and intellectual status.”

            • Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, founded Jan. 15, 1908, and incorporated in 1913; Howard University, Washington, DC. Official Colors: Salmon Pink and Apple Green. Official Symbol: Ivy Leaf. Official Web Site: www.aka1908.com. National Headquarters: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; 5656 South Stony Island Avenue; Chicago, IL  60637. According to the official Web site, “Alpha Kappa Alpha  is a sisterhood composed of women who have consciously chosen this affiliation as a means of self-fulfillment through volunteer service. Alpha Kappa Alpha cultivates and encourages high scholastic and ethical standards; promotes unity and friendship among college women; alleviates problems concerning girls and women; maintains a progressive interest in college life; and serves all mankind...”

            • Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, founded Jan. 15, 1911, and incorporated in 1911; Indiana  University, Bloomington, IN. Official Colors: Crimson and Cream. Official Symbol: Kappa Diamond. Official Web Site: www.kappaalphapsi1911.com. National Headquarters: Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.; 2322-24 North Broad Street; Philadelphia, PA  19132-4590. According to the official Web site, “Membership in Kappa Alpha Psi is a lifelong dedication to the ideas and lofty purposes of Kappa Alpha Psi, which considers for membership only those aspirants whose personal, social and academic qualifications are acceptable to both the College and Fraternity.”

            • Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, founded Nov. 17, 1911, and incorporated in 1914; Howard University, Washington, DC. Official Colors: Purple and Gold. Official Flower: African Violet. Official Web Site: www.omegapsiphifraternity.org. National Headquarters: Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.; 3951 Snapfinger Parkway; Decatur, GA  30035. According to the official Web Site, Omega Men flourished because of the ideas and intellect of its founders. “The Founders selected and attracted men of similar ideals and characteristics. It is not by accident that many of America’s great black men are/were Omega Men. To this date, there are very few Americans whose lives have not been touched by a number of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.”

            •Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, founded Jan. 13, 1913, and incorporated in 1930; Howard University, Washington, DC. Official Colors: Crimson and Cream  or Red and White. Official Flower: African Violet. Official Web Site: www.deltasigmatheta.org. National Headquarters: Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; 1707 New Hampshire Avenue, NW; Washington, DC  20009. According to the official Web Site, “The Grand Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. has a membership of over 200,000 predominately African-American, college-educated women. The Sorority currently has 900-plus chapters located in the United States, Tokyo, Japan, Okinawa, Japan, Germany, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Seoul, Korea, and St. Thomas and St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Island.”

            • Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, founded Jan. 9, 1914, and incorporated in 1930; Howard University, Washington, DC. Official Colors: Royal Blue and Pure White. Official Symbol: Dove. Official Web Site: www.pbs1914.org. National Headquarters: Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.; International Headquarters, 145 Kennedy Street,NW; Washington, DC  20011. According to the official Web Site, “[The] Phi Beta Sigma has blossomed into an international organization of leaders. No longer a single entity, the Fraternity has now established the Phi Beta Sigma Educational Foundation, the Phi Beta Sigma Housing Foundation, the Phi Beta Sigma Federal Credit Union, and the Phi Beta Sigma Charitable outreach Foundation. Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., founded in 1920 with the assistance of Phi Beta Sigma, is the sister organization. No other fraternity and sorority is constitutionally bound as Sigma and Zeta..”

            • Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, founded Jan. 16, 1920, and incorporated in 1923; Howard University, Washington, DC. Official Colors: Royal Blue and Pure White. Official Symbol: Dove. Official Web Site: www.zphib1920.org. National Headquarters: Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.; National Headquarters, 1734 New Hampshire Avenue,NW; Washington, DC  20009. According to the official Web Site, “The purpose of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority is to foster the ideas of service, charity, scholarship, civil and cultural endeavors, sisterhood and finer womanhood. These ideals are reflected in the sorority’s national program for which its members and auxiliary groups provide voluntary service to staff, community outreach programs, fund scholarships, support organized charities, and promote legislation for social and civic change.”

            • Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, founded Nov. 12, 1922, and incorporated in 1929; Butler University, Indianapolis, IN. Official Colors: Royal Blue and Gold. Official Flower: Yellow Tea Rose. Official Web Site: www.sgrho1922.org. National Headquarters: Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.; International Headquarters, 8800 South Stony Island Avenue; Chicago, IL 60617. According to the official Web Site, “Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority’s aim is to enhance the quality of life within the community. Public service, leadership development and education of youth are the hallmark of the organization’s programs and activities. Sigma Gamma Rho addresses concerns that impact society educationally, civilly, and economically.”

            • Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, founded Sept. 19, 1963, and incorporated in 1968; Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD. Official Colors: Charcoal Brown and Gilded Gold. Official Symbol: The Centaur. Official Web Site: www.iotaphitheta.org. National Headquarters: Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.; Office of the Grand Polaris, 3001 Hewitt Avenue, Suite 390; Silver Spring, MD 20906. According to the official Web Site, “As Iota Phi Theta continues to grow, so will its commitment to make meaningful contributions to society in general, with particular emphasis in the African-American community. Throughout America, Iota Phi Theta has come to represent excellence in all areas. The Fraternity is, and shall forever remain dedicated to its founders’ vision of ‘Building a Tradition, Not Resting Upon One!”

Noted African Americans in Greek Fraternities and Sororities

            Historically Black Greek Letter Organizations are known for their initiation ceremony, tradition of service, handshake, song, stepshows, Greek symbols, emblems and colors. Some frats and sorors, past and present, include local Memphians Mayor A C Wharton Jr., Alpha Psi Alpha; Johnnie R. Turner, Delta Sigma Theta; Deidre Malone, Alpha  Kappa Alpha; Joe Ford, Alpha Psi Alpha; Sandra H. Burkes, Alpha Kappa Alpha; Dr. Willie W. Herenton, Alpha Psi Alpha; Dr. Cozette R. Garrett, Delta Sigma Theta; Fred Jones Jr., Omega Psi Phi; Velma Lois Jones, Alpha Kappa Alpha; Ruby J. Payne, Delta Sigma Theta; O.C. Pleasant Jr., Kappa Alpha Psi; and Rochelle Stevens, Delta Sigma Theta; Brenda JoySmith, Sigma Gamma Rho; Mary Church Terrell, Delta Sigma Theta; Judge Bernice Donald, Zeta Phi Beta; Benjamin Hooks, Omega Psi Phi; Anfernee Hardaway, Kappa Alpha Psi; and Apostle Bill Adkins, Kappa Alpha Psi. 

            Other noted frats and sorors: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Alpha  Phi Alpha; Michael Jordan, Omega Psi Phi; Felicia Rashad, Alpha Kappa Alpha; Wilt Chambelain, Kappa Alpha Psi; Cicely Tyson, Delta Sigma Theta; Mary McLeod Bethune, Delta Sigma Theta; W.E.B. Dubois, Alpha  Phi Alpha; Thurgood Marshall, Alpha  Phi Alpha; Paul Robeson, Alpha  Phi Alpha; Adam Clayton Powell Jr., Alpha  Phi Alpha; and Andrew Young, Alpha  Phi Alpha; Dr. Ralph Abernathy, Kappa Alpha Psi; Johnnie L. Cochran Jr., Kappa Alpha Psi; Rev. Jessie Jackson, Omega Psi Phi; Bill Cosby, Omega Psi Phi; Les Brown, Phi Beta Sigma; Blair Underwood, Phi Beta Sigma; Morris Chestnut, Phi Beta Sigma; Bobby Jones, Phi Beta Sigma; Desi Arnez Hines, Iota Phi Theta; Vaughn Booker, Iota Phi Theta; Calvin Murphy, Iota Phi Theta; Bobby Rush, Iota Phi Theta; Marian Anderson, Alpha Kappa Alpha; Dr. Mae Jemison, Alpha Kappa Alpha; Rosa Parks, Alpha Kappa Alpha; Gladys Knight, Alpha Kappa Alpha; Camille Cosby, Delta Sigma Theta; Ruby Dee, Delta Sigma Theta; Minnie Ripperton, Zeta Phi Beta; Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Siga Gamma Rho; Lee Chamberlin, Sigma Gamma Rho; Shirley Caesar, Delta Sigma Theta; Alice Childress, Sigma Gamma Rho; Esther Rolle, Zeta Phi Beta; Mother Love, Sigma Gamma Rho; Dionne Warwick, Zeta Phi Beta; Dorothy Height, Delta Sigma Theta; Brenda Pressley, Sigma Gamma Rho; and Nancy Wilson, Delta Siga Theta.