'The Think Tank'
'We are the Community'
COMMUNITY FELLOWS
Jeff Smith
Academic Preparation |
Academic Preparation:
Doctor of Transformational Leadership, Expected Graduation, 01/2021 Bakke Graduate School (BGS), Dallas, Texas Doctor of Education, ABD, 05/2014 East Tennessee State University (ETSU), Johnson City, TN Master of Arts in Sociology, 05/2007 East Tennessee State University (ETSU), Johnson City, TN Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Science, 05/2004 Athens State University (ASU), Athens, AL Undergraduate Studies, 1999 - 2001 University of Alabama (UA), Tuscaloosa, AL Jeff Smith currently serves as Director of Innovation and Equity at NACCE. NACCE provides leadership and scalable sustainable, scalable resources to foster entrepreneurial thinking and action in one of the largest entrepreneurial ecosystems in North American. As the Director of Innovation and Equity , Jeff is responsible for providing strategic leadership for the development and implementation of a culture of innovation and equity at NACCE and promoting inclusive leadership as a means for innovation and growth within our organization, our member organizations, and community partners. Jeff is also tasked with providing oversight for projects that seeks to transform diverse communities through initiatives that promote entrepreneurial thinking. He also works to support individuals and organizational members as they journey to transform their schools, organizations, and communities through the development of an entrepreneurial mindset. Over the last decade, as an educator, Jeff has worked to create transformative educational spaces in high schools, a community college, a public state university, and a private college. In an administrative capacity, he has lead the development and implementation of a strategic diversity plans; worked to ensure collaboratively across the institution to ensure the campus climate was supportive of diversity; developed initiatives designed to improve student success, and reduce attrition rates; and to build authentic and collaborative working relationships with external communities and stakeholders among other things. Jeff is convinced that the 21st century with its rapidly growing technology, saturation of information, demographic shifts, and increasing cultural diversity requires that individuals and communities come together to build creative, life-giving, and sustainable communities and cities. He believes it's his life's work is to help students, communities, and cities find ways to work together and pursue this common good. |
Dr. Eurydice S. Stanley, LTC (Ret.)
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Dr. Eurydice Stanley is an International Speaker, Author, Filmmaker, fourth generation FAMU Rattler and founder of Amused Media & Productions LLC, a training and development company that provides “Inspired Communications for Amplified Living.” She has more than 30 years of experience providing DEI, human relations, and leadership training for leaders, many of whom served at the highest levels within the Department of Defense. She specializes in leadership, diversity, human relations, mentorship, education, and leveraging personality in teambuilding.
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Dr. Nzinga Metzger
Pan African Cultural and Heritage Chair |
Dr. Nzinga Metzger was educated in the United States, receiving her B.A.
in history from Florida State University and her M.A. in history from Temple University. Dr. Metzger completed her Ph.D. in Culture at Florida State University. Over her years of study, Dr. Metzger’s holistic approach to acquiring knowledge has led to her development as a scholar, folklorist and artist. Ms. Metzger’s anthropological work focuses on Africa, the African diaspora, ritual, religion and identity. Both her master’s level and doctoral work address themes including West African notions of personhood, the historical context and the socio-cultural politics of identity in relation to colonial power, and issues of diaspora and identity formation, Also of interest to her is the fluidity with which individual and group identities ebb and flow through history as they confront changing socio-political climates. This idea re-emerges in her dissertation which encompasses West Africa and Afro Atlantica, and addresses topics such as identity, Africanity, African and African based religions, aesthetics, and the histories of the African diaspora with special reference to African American practitioners of Yorùbá based religion in Philadelphia. Ms. Metzger’s investigation of these topics has lead to both national and international field research wherein she has observed communities of devotees of orìsà traditions: Internationally, she has traveled to Cuba and Nigeria to investigate òrìsà tradition, while domestically she has obtained a decade of exposure and access to and study of òrìsà communities in New York, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Tallahassee, and Atlanta. Through this work, she has been able to collect personal oral histories and also observe, study, and contextualize the processes of identity formation, cultural reinterpretation and adaptation amongst community members from both individual and groups perspectives. Her work strives to situate these within the larger socio-historical context within in which these processes take place. Complimentarily to her academic work, Ms. Metzger is also a singer, dancer and folklorist. She has been a student of traditional West African dance since 1991, when she began to study dances from the Old Mali Empire at Florida State University. From 1991 to 1995, Ms. Metzger’s study was focused on the dances of the Old Mali/Senegambian region of West Africa. In 1996 Dr. Metzger began to study Afro Cuban Lucumí dances for the òrìsà. This study has both lead to and fed a special interest in the historical and present day contexts of these dances and their socio-religious functions. Ms. Metzger is also a student of the singing of Afro Cuban Lucumí songs dedicated to the òrìsà of that tradition, studying with such artistic stalwarts as master bàtá player and Pew artist Greg ‘Peachy’ Jarman, now deceased, and Olufemi DeWindt, a renowned akpón from New York with whom she continues to apprentice. She has performed and taught both song and dance in and out of Tallahassee and in the Southeastern United states over the past 24 years. Finally, in addition to her scholarly work, Dr. Metzger is also the founder and director of The DuniaForé Foundation which is a philanthropic, non profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to working in the African Diaspora. The organization launched a successful summer school for traditionalist children in Osogbo, Nigeria last year. The summer school, called “Asalaye Academy,” will also be running this year. Currently, Dr. Metzger is currently interested in on the waking traditions of Sierra Leone as well as Sierra Leonean masquerades and their relevance to Sierra Leonean identity both at home and abroad. She is currently an assistant professor of anthropology at Florida A&M University. |
Sonja Evans
President – South Carolina Cultural Heritage Society |
Sonja Griffin Evans is an international Cultural Gullah Artist born and raised in Beaufort, South Carolina. Growing up in the ‘Low Country’, which prides itself on its ability to preserve its culture and heritage, has heavily influenced Sonja's artwork, and gives her an uncanny ability to capture the beauty, spirituality and purest representations of the Sea Islands and of African American culture. As a prolific mix media artist, she incorporates items such as tin, wood and other materials in her art. She is also adept at painting the vibrantly textured colored art on canvas that is acknowledged as the traditional Gullah style. In both mediums, Sonja is careful to express her culture in its purest form. Evans believes that everything that God has created is not only beautiful, but has a purpose and states nothing should be wasted. She further believes she merely holds the paint brush and God ultimately creates the art.
Sonja is known for her ability to see the beauty in found items and selects each item and unveils the alluring stories these pieces hold within them; reflecting the spirituality of the people of African descent. With her masterful use of color and perspective in her work, Griffin Evans' artwork is constantly evolving. Each piece has a story or inspirational quote that invokes spiritual and cultural insight. Sonja Griffin Evans is the founder of the National For Artists – By Artists Society and a major contributor in the development for the 'Forgotten Communities Art Program' for the Pan African American Cultural Heritage Initiative, which is a program designed to preserve and promote the culture and heritage of people of Pan Africa -via the arts. Evans is the President of the South Carolina Cultural Heritage Society and serves on the Board of Directors for the Pan African Cultural Heritage Institute and the National Cultural Heritage Tourism Society. Sonja Griffin Evans and her Gumbo e-Gallery have won many prestigious awards. In 2013 her gallery received the African Diaspora World Tourism Flame Keepers Award for honoring the culture and heritage of people of African Descent. Sonja has personally been named Honoree, Mamie Till Mobley Woman of Courage Award, and was an Onyx Award Nominee. As a highly sought after speaker and advocate for the arts, Evans has been featured on television and radio broadcasts, and in publications; such as DuPont Registry, Southern Lady Magazine, From Imagining to Understanding the African American Experience and more. Her artwork is in prestigious galleries, private and corporate collections, nationally and abroad. Her artwork was recently selected by the Westin Hilton Head Spa and Resort to display permanently commemorating historic Mitchelville and as the Historic Penn Center 2014 Heritage Days featured artist of the year. Evans is currently the resident artist at the Three Sisters Resale and More, Gallery 3 located in the Village Exchange on Hilton Head Island. |
Theresa Cates
Artist |
Theresa Cates is a North Little Rock, Arkansas native that is celebrated nationally as one of America’s most significant Cultural Artist. Her body of work shows the beauty, heritage, and nuisances of her culture, and captivates the viewer by allowing them to peek into the soul of her canvas subjects. Theresa’s creations are truly Works of Art! Cates paintings were described by one recipient as ‘Spiritual Gifts birthed through Theresa’s soul’!
As a self-taught artist, Theresa surmises that God gave her the Freedom to develop her own style. Painting is therapy and brings relief from the stresses she has faced in her life. She feels each piece and tries to convey that feeling in her creations. There is a personal relationship with each piece she paints. Theresa’s desire is for each piece of art to be not just beautiful, but also accurately represent her culture, heritage, and faith. Through her art, Theresa has demonstrated her ability as a Master Storyteller. She states that she has turned her own experiences into a powerful narrative; a testimony of overcoming challenges and allowing her art to serve as beacons of inspiration for others facing adversity. Her ministerial goal is to use her art to uplift and empower those who resonate with her journey. Judging from the recognition she has received; Theresa efforts have been successful. Her work has garnered praise for its artistic brilliance and for its cultural significance. She is routinely celebrated for authentically representing and preserving, the African American Culture and Heritage. Cates artwork extends the boundaries of traditional art, creating an immersive experience that transcends the visual. Her works of art become a powerful medium for connection, understanding, and healing, fostering a sense of community through shared stories and shared triumphs. Theresa has a studio, Majestic Motions, in the Little Rock River Market District and can be observed painting, while listening to her favorite songs. Music plays a large role in all the paintings she creates. She says music bypasses the intellect and goes straight to the soul and most of my paintings are filled with soul and feelings and movement. I spend a lot of time in church, and with that comes some great gifts streaming from the choir along with another gift of a message from the Pastor. All these emotions come out when I create my church pieces. The intent in the church pieces is to take you back, either to an “on fire service” or a “spirit filled” choir jumping out with praise and strong worship. ‘Jazz Night’ was created while I listened to smooth jazz on a Sunday evening. The vintage hardwood floors, the late-night date, along with the band bursting with beautifully bright colors made this painting pop. Theresa is proud of the recognition she received for the acclaimed series of paintings, created in celebration of ‘Black Wall Street’; a Historic African American Community in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that was vibrant in the 1920’s. Another favorite painting is titled ‘Meet Me at The Fish in’ Hole’. This piece has ladies in the Sunday best, wearing mud boots. It is a personal image from Theresa’s childhood memory of cousins meeting up at the river to fish after church and talk about the church service and the message. Cates’ diversity of subjects and story reflect her detailed understanding and acknowledgement of the importance of both, culture and history, in urban and rural setting. Theresa Cates art studio, Majestic Motion, is named after a ministry created by Cates to assist others who have experienced troubled childhood, as she did. As a young child growing up in an abusive household, Theresa began drawing stick figures on a roll of tissue to make my mom smile. The teaching ministry educates others on her disturbing childhood and how she met God and began to learn the power of forgiveness pertaining to the abuse endured as a child. Cates says, the more she learned about God the more the gift became evident. In her teachings, Cates routinely affirms; “Forgiveness set me free, as I was bound to unforgiveness. Going to church and learning about God showed me how to let go and get set free, as I began to get set free, so did the stick figures. The stick figures went from a child making stick figures to an adult creating full figure paintings with beautiful vibrant colors. The more I changed for the better as a person, the more creativity flowed from within – It was medicine for my soul. Majestic Motions Ministry consists of a poem being read about my forgiveness journey and me creating a painting of a woman dancing and being set free. It also includes a mime dancing in appreciation to God for saving her. Artist Theresa Cates is a Pan African Cultural Heritage Institute Fellow and serves as the Director for the Institutes’ Art and Entertainment Network, promoting Cultural Heritage Art and Forgotten Communities via ‘The Arts’. Cate’s description of Herself is True, “I was born an Artist! I am Art and Art is Me! Majestic Motions by Theresa Cates |
Ricky Tucker
CEO National Cultural Heritage Tourism Center |
Ricky L. Tucker, Founder and President of RIX International, LLC Executive Coaching in 2002. Later founded Coach RIX Winners to help young Athletes and their family members. RIX represent Respect, Integrity and Excellence. As a result, Ricky Tucker is known by many as "Coach RIX". He is a professional coach to executives, leaders and individuals.
Ricky has extensive experience in the area of Sales, Management and People Development. His career has been primarily in the telecommunications Industry with more than five (5) years-experience working with one of the largest paging companies in the industry and later he worked for the largest Cellular Company in the United States for twelve (12) years. Ricky has won numerous awards for Sales and Sales Management, including Number One Retail General Manager, several Winners Circle Awards, Nationa Ricky’s objective is to encourage, coach and train individuals, organizations and teams to pursue excellence. He has a strong desire and passion to help others achieve their desired goals. His mission is to help you “Be Your Best.” After more than twenty-five years of interviewing, hiring, training, developing people and leading teams, Ricky realized the vast amount of untapped human potential within large corporations and smaller companies. As a result, Ricky pursued his dream and launched RIX International, LLC. Ricky is a graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He was a Certified Dale Carnegie Instructor for more than 10 years. He is a graduate of the Leadership Development program of Cincinnati and a graduate of the United Way Leadership Training and Development program in Indianapolis. Tucker has served on the Board for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the Cincinnati Contemporary Art Center. Ricky received his training as an Executive Coach from Corporate Coach U. Over the past twenty-four years Ricky has “given back” to various communities by donating time, resources and talents to adopting schools, speaking during career day programs, serving as Executive representative for the American Cancer Society, serving and feeding the homeless and the hungry. Ricky is the past Board Chairman for the North Memphis Community Development Corporation. Ricky was a facilitator for "A Taste of Hunger.” An initiative focused on feeding the hungry in the Memphis, Tennessee area. Ricky and his Wife Gwendolyn helped facilitate "A Taste of Hunger” attended by 200 community leaders. Ricky volunteered as the mental toughness and performance coach for a boy’s Jr. Varsity and Varsity Basketball team for two seasons. He coached, mentored and taught (and currently coaches, mentors and teaches) athletes the importance of setting and achieving goals, career preparation, as well as life balancing skills. Ricky has volunteered as the mental toughness and performance coach for two boys Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) teams ages fourteen and fifteen. He also volunteered as the Executive Business Coach for President and the staff of a nonprofit organization. Ricky served as a Mentor for the Memphis Grizzlies Foundation TEAM UP Mentoring Program. Ricky has served (and continues to serve) on several Boards in the Memphis area. Over the past two decades, Ricky has continued to advise Business Owners and Leaders. Ricky is Married to Gwendolyn Tucker, who is now the President of RIX International, LLC. |
Carolyn Michael-Banks
Director of the Pan African American Travel Club |
Carolyn Michael-Banks is the owner and founder of A Tour of Possibilities (ATOP), LLC, an African American History Sightseeing Tour company of Memphis, TN. She is a native of the Bronx, New York and lived there until she attended Clark University in Worcester, MA.
She relocated to Washington, D.C. and began working for a sightseeing company in various capacities. She quickly rose up through the ranks and became General Manager of one of the largest themed-sightseeing tour companies in the country. As GM, she chose to include African American history in the script which was noticeably missing. These changes were not readily accepted by the CEO. The company moved her to develop and launch operations in Savannah, GA; and then Philadelphia, PA. Michael-Banks was downsized and decided to develop ATOP in Philadelphia. After five years Michael-Banks relocated to Memphis, TN. ATOP’s mission is to share the historical and cultural gems that African Americans have contributed to Memphis. ATOP’s aim is to take visitors and residents alike on an eye-opening journey that enlightens and entertains. We share a perspective of the history of Memphis traditional tours do not provide. We share a Memphis you can feel! A Tour of Possibilities, LLC celebrates its 10th anniversary on August 6, 2024. ATOP has received TripAdvisor’s Certificate of Excellence four consecutive years and was deemed “Standout Black History Tour in the U.S.” by Condé Nast Travel Magazine. ATOP has been certified by the following: City of Memphis - Small Business Enterprise (SBE) and Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Shelby County - Locally Owned Small Business (LOSB), Shelby County Schools - Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Memphis Shelby County Airport Authority - Disadvantage Business Enterprise (DBE). |
Torie Anecia Jones
Multimedia Art & Entertainment Ambassador & Consultant |
Torie Anecia Jones is a Multi-Talented and Gifted Multi-Media Artist and Entrepreneur! A native of Jacksonville Florida, Torie grew up loving art. Her passion for art began at an early age. As a child, her family loved the arts and she was surrounded by art and music, this fostered her interest in fine arts. Unfortunately, family finances and limited art programs dampened Torie’s dream of a career in art. Her only solution was to showcase her works in the vibrant arts community on the streets of Jacksonville. Her work was well received, and it was non-sanctioned cultural events she honed her talents. Torie was fascinated with the fact that art was a universal language, and her work was appreciated by different cultures and generations.
Torie became a Street Art Celebrity and eventually tried her skills as a Body Painter. Her original hand painted body art proved lucrative for her career and led to a career changing decision. After many years of drawing and painting, primarily on the streets, Torie moved to Atlanta Ga. and started painting with acrylic paint on canvas. She began experimenting with abstracts in various mediums. There was obvious freedom and personal expression with abstracts, and she really began to flourish. Torie was deeply interested in the effects of color, texture, and emotional response to strong composition and design. By removing the representational art and creating something that told a story without an observational subject matter was very exciting. Today, Torie has relocated back to her hometown of Jacksonville, Florida. She is deeply involved in the grassroot art movement. She is a motivated mother of three with twenty plus years of experience in the entertainment industry spectrums. Various forms IE: management, promotions, and event planning. Now holding the title of CEO of her own Online Radio Station. Her abstract artistic way of thinking leads to cross pollination in both worlds, art and music. Torie work is still a bold mix of styles of art ranging from crafting, sculpting, music, graphic designs and media, creating content, organizing and facilitating various events, to body art, and painting on various materials, including recycled wood and metals. She brings a subtle and sophisticated feel to her life through all aspects of art, with a unique balance of respect for the art industry. However, her work as an entrepreneur is equally, if not more impressive. Using her Internet Radio as her Community Support and Artist Development Platform, Torie has truly excelled and expanded her horizon. Power 904 Radio was a result of gifts and experiences she acquired while living in the Hustle and Bustle of Atlanta as she tried to make a living and create art. Marketing, Advertisement, Event Promotion and Planning, Editing, Fundraising, and many more, Torie makes available her skills to her community. She is a non-traditional community activist that her culture counts on to help them make a difference in marginalized communities. Torie is a Gift to all who are blessed to know her. Artist Statement "My primary goal when creating my art is to breathe life into what I do. One of my practices is to make sure that I do not stay locked up in the studio for too long. I go out and explore and try other forms of art for inspiration. This relates to innovative ideas and the ability to stay excited about what I do every day. As you can tell by my work, I like to create living emotions within my art. My art is to leave you wanting more so that you may explore your own spirit and to be an inspiration to the next artist. Art can help us grow, heal our hearts, excite our senses, and inspire the latest ideas. It is one of the most valuable gifts in this world.” Thank you for being a part of my journey. |
Karen Garrison (Queen)
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As a proud mom of twins impacted by the Mandatory Minimum Sentencing Guidelines, I've spent over 20 years advocating for change. Through my journey, I've co-hosted the Mommieactivist and Sons radio show, spoken at universities and rallies nationwide, and lobbied for reform. My story has been featured in national and international media. Today, I'm a Global Speaker on Mass Incarceration, Over-criminalization, and racial disparities in the US Criminal Justice system. My work extends to various criminal justice, civil, human rights issues, juvenile justice, and international affairs. As founder of Queen Karen G Communications Consulting, I leverage my expertise to drive impactful change for clients in media, entertainment, and politics."
Executive Summary: Queen Karen G Communications Consulting is a premier firm specializing in media, entertainment, and political communications. With over two decades of experience as an activist and advocate, Queen Karen G has a proven track record of driving transformation and benefiting both politicians and citizens in various communities. This business plan outlines the vision, mission, services, market analysis, and strategies for establishing and growing the consulting firm. 1. Vision and Mission:
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Dexter Allen
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Dexter Allen
Strategic Business Leader | Small Business & Commercial Lending Expert | Economic Growth Advocate. For over two decades, Dexter Allen has been a driving force in small business and commercial lending, helping entrepreneurs and organizations secure funding, scale their operations, and achieve lasting financial success. With a deep understanding of commercial real estate lending, contract financing, and strategic business development, Dexter has successfully led businesses to multi-million-dollar growth while fostering economic empowerment in his community. Dexter's background in Business Lending, Sales & Marketing laid the foundation for his leadership roles across industries. His expertise has led him to serve as Chairman of the Board at the Tampa Bay Black Chamber of Commerce and Micro Lending Loan Officer at Access Florida Finance Corporation, where he has spearheaded financial initiatives that drive sustainable business growth. Beyond lending, Dexter has extensive experience in franchise sales, business consulting, tax preparation, disaster relief loan funding, and cybersecurity, making him a versatile strategist for businesses at every stage. His ability to navigate complex financial landscapes, negotiate high stakes deals, and provide innovative solutions has made him a trusted advisor to business owners, investors, and industry leaders alike. A Legacy of Leadership & Community Impact A passionate advocate for economic development, Dexter has worked tirelessly to bridge the financial gap for small businesses and minority entrepreneurs, ensuring access to capital and financial literacy. His leadership in the Tampa Bay Black Chamber of Commerce has connected business owners with invaluable resources, partnerships, and funding opportunities, fostering a stronger and more inclusive business ecosystem. When he’s not working, Dexter enjoys mentoring young entrepreneurs, supporting community initiatives, and staying ahead of financial trends. His commitment to economic empowerment, business advocacy, and strategic financial planning continues to fuel his mission to help businesses thrive. "Success is not just about making money. It’s about making a difference, creating opportunities, and leaving a lasting impact." |
Laura Dorsey -
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Professor Laura Dorsey is an educational professional and community activist. She has a wide-ranging background in educational administration and corporate management. Her experiences include quality management, performance improvement, accreditation compliance, education, instructional design, and training/development. She is a professional in Higher Education with experience in proprietary, post-secondary institutions directing, lecturing/teaching, facilitating/delivering curriculum, and providing academic counseling regarding retention, progression and graduation. Facilitation using multiple distance educational modalities including assessment and evaluation is one of her specialties. In addition, she has served as a University Academic Cabinet Member, SME General Education & English and Area Chair: Academic Writing and General Studies in the College of Humanities.
Prior to her academic career, Laura had a very extensive career in financial services; retiring as the Assistant Vice President directly responsible for merger/acquisition, strategic planning, development, budgeting and forecasting. She was also a Securitas Trader, managing over 200 IRA accounts, responsible for purchasing, balancing and reposting over $1 million of daily transaction. Currently, she has combined both careers and is a sought-after speaker on financial literacy. Laura is the Associate Editor of ONYX Magazine and publishes a column on Money Matter and current editorial topics. She is CEO/President of LLD Consulting LLC, where she provides consultation on strategic planning, organizational structure and writing to a number of major clients and organizations. As a community activist, Laura is involved in several professional associations and service organizations. She serves as the Vice President of Women of Excellence and Leadership, Founding Board Member of Central Florida Higher Education Alliance, Chair of BOD Clarita’s House Outreach Ministry, Board Member and SE Regional Vice President of Infinite Scholars Program. She is also a key presenter and speaker at BIG (Blacks in Government) Conference, National Teach In, Goodwill Industries, Junior Achievement, Career Education Clubs of America, Youth Employment Services (YES) Program, Upward Bound Program, and has worked on several Congressional campaigns. Awards for her commitment have been numerous: Who’s Who of American Women, Who’s Who in American Education, Who’s Who in the World, and Alpha Sigma Lambda (Lifetime Member). Laura holds a Bachelor’s in Business Management and a Master’s in Organizational Management. She also has a specialized certification in Personal Trust Operations. Her doctoral research and specialized studies have all been in Adult Education |
Dr. Arbutas Washington
Faith Community Programs |
As an ordained Minister and Elder, Rev. Dr. Arbutas Washington is an avid believer in community service and assisting those in need by using every resource available to help others reach a sense of stability. Arbutas understands homelessness, abuse, financial hardship, hopelessness, incarceration, and despair due to either personal or secondary experiences. Her faith in a Mighty God is the creator of her resilience and determination. She has graduated from believing that GOD is real, to KNOWING that GOD is real as an undeniable fact. Every one of her paths, encounters, and situations produced testimonies of faith and miracles. Because Arbutas is a Mother (first and foremost), there were times that a regular job was insufficient or simple not available. However, due to growing up with Grandparents, and Great Uncles and Aunts that believed in creating a job when one did not exist, she adopted that same attitude. She is presently working on developing a program to teach ex-offenders and others the skills of entrepreneurship so that they will cease to beg for the crumbs that fall from the master’s table and become the Master from which the crumbs fall.
Dr. Washington is the President and Director of Help from the Sanctuary, Inc. (a charitable organization) and the author of The Making of Me and Help from the Sanctuary. She has owned other businesses that included Arbutas Auto Sales (e.g., sold used cars), Arbutas A. Dawson Agency (e.g., both as an independent and through Allstate), Notary Public, and as an independent Seamstress. She has 28 years of experience in the financial services industry as an agent, agency owner, and a financial advisor with skills in budgeting, finance, marketing, and Investing. She also holds certifications in Mental Health First Aid, Assisted Living, and Faith-Based Clinical Counseling. Dr. Washington received a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern Mississippi in Computer Science while minoring in Business Administration. She received a Master’s degree from Gulf Coast College and Seminary where she majored in Christian Counseling and a PhD in Ministry from Florida State Seminary. Dr. Washington also holds a Master’s degree in Psychology with a specialization in Crisis Management and Response and is currently in the PhD program of Health and Human Services specializing in Crisis, Disaster, and Management at Walden University. Dr. Washington’ work experience ranges from working on an assembly line to owning businesses. Some of that experience includes clerical and clerk work, substitute teaching, customer service and support manager, mental health case manager, and motivational speaker. She is a firm believer that working hard at whatever you do is a success within itself. Dr. Washington also holds an active memberships in the Golden Key International Honor Society through graduate studies and Psi Chi International Honor Society in Psychology. With all of that said, Dr. Washington’s greatest joys are her children, grandchildren, and quilting as she volunteers for Sew for Hope in Tallahassee where quilts are made to benefit homeless children. |
Robert Conners
Researcher - Expositor |
Dr. Conners is Vice President of Infoworks Research, a Tallahassee-based, government and business consulting firm. He received his doctorate from the Florida State University in Counseling Psychology in 1989. Early in his career while employed at FSU, he initiated the university’s National Achievement Program for minority scholars, the first at a predominantly-White institution in the southeastern U.S. During the eighties, he received a $1 million grant from the Florida Board of Regents to develop and implement a pilot program at FSU to increase minority enrollment in higher education. In 1984, he was appointed by FSU’s President to the President’s Ad Hoc Committee on the Student Athlete which made recommendations on behalf of student athletes subsequently adopted by the NCAA. In 1985, he co-authored a book chapter with the late FSU Vice President for Student Affairs, Dr. Bob Leach, for a Jossey-Bass special edition. Titled Pygmalion on the Grid-iron, the chapter examined the plight of Black student athletes at predominantly-White universities and made recommendations for student services to better serve their particular needs.
As a result of these and other efforts on behalf of minority students, in 1991 Dr. Conners was invited to join the Florida State University’s Black Studies Program faculty where he directed program research and taught both graduate and undergraduate courses on race relations, the dynamics of racism and oppression, inequality and race, and multicultural perspectives in education. From 1991 through 1993, as the Program’s director of research, he supervised a U.S. Department of Justice grant project investigating sources of minority overrepresentation in Florida’s juvenile justice system and worked with Black Studies Program staff to deliver a highly successful, three-year, academic skill development project for African American public school students enrolled in Tallahassee schools. In 2002, he left FSU to join MGT of America, a government consulting firm, where he conducted or participated in 19 disparity study projects investigating state and municipal governments’ utilization of minority-owned businesses in government contracting. He also directed a six year, longitudinal evaluation of the State of New York’s special education services, the most thorough analysis of special education ever conducted at the state level. From 2007 through 2012, he served as Director of Research for the Florida Commission on Human Relations, Florida’s civil rights agency, where he directed research related to majority/minority group inequality in Florida. Dr. Conners is a published author and has been an invited lecturer and speaker, presenting before more than 75 professional bodies and forums around the nation on topics dealing with educational inequality, race relations and social justice. His research and presentations are informed by a theory of the dynamics of societal oppression developed during his tenure with Black Studies. In response to a recent request from the University Press of Florida, he is authoring a manuscript for a book explaining the dynamics of modern race relations and inequality in America, due at year’s end. |
Gwendolyn Michelle Evans
Publisher/Author |
+Gwendolyn Melinda Michelle Evans (GMME) is an author, speaker, publisher and spiritual warfare strategist. She is a Florida native – born in Jacksonville, raised in Sanford and currently resides in Tallahassee. Tallahassee became her home when she graduated from the renowned HBCU, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting in 2003. After the completion of her bachelors, Melinda received an MBA with a concentration in Finance and Accounting from American Intercontinental University in 2007. After enjoying a career in banking and accounting for a decade, she stepped out on faith in 2012 to fulfill the purpose inside of her – writing.
In 2013, she founded her publishing company, Global Multi Media Enterprises (GMME). To date GMME has seven authors with a total of 29 published works. She hopes to expand her company’s reach and catalog in the coming year. Melinda Michelle is the author of 15 published works. Her titles include both fiction and nonfiction. Although the genres vary, spiritual warfare is her signature subject. She remains true to a theme in all her books – the love and power of the Almighty God. Her work has won awards and brought her before many audiences as a speaker. She has served as a panelist, keynote speaker and conference orator tackling the subject of spiritual warfare for women’s groups, prisons and churches. Melinda also designs personalized spiritual warfare strategies, a unique resource to help the body of Christ deal with the opposition they experience through life’s challenges using biblical principles of warfare. Strategies can be designed for individuals, families, marriages, institutions and churches. Awards Melinda has received include, the Author of the Year award by Divas on Fire Magazine in 2016. Her Chronicles of Warfare series won the Redemptive Fiction Award of Excellence by Radiax Press and “Saturday Showdown” was a nominee for Indie Book 2016 by Metamorph Publishing. Melinda’s stories are designed to connect with Christians, but it is her desire to connect to anyone who likes to read. Her stories aspire to captivate the reader with powerful testimonies about God. |
Beau Moultrie
Commercial Real Estate Agent Specializing in Grocery Anchored Shopping Centers |
Beau Moultrie is a Commercial Real Estate Leasing Representative Specializing in both Grocery Anchored and Non Anchored Shopping Centers, with one of the largest retail leasing, management, and investment sales firms in the Southeastern United States. Beau leases and sales commercial real estate assets for institutional and non-institutional investors
Beau Moultrie’s previou experience includes: Experience New Horizon Financial, Inc. – Pensacola, FL 2005-2009 Accountable for soliciting business accounts and building strategic alliances Implemented marketing tactics that increased clientele and profitability Counseled investors on financial feasibility and exit strategy of speculative development projects Sunset Mortgage, Inc. - Pensacola, Fl. 2002-2005 Analyzed financial statements to determine the credit worthiness of clients Counsel with clients to help determine correct financial product for their needs Education Florida State University –Tallahassee, Fl. Bachelor’s Degree in Business Finance Expected Date of Graduation: fall 2012 Cumulative Grade Point Average -3.22 Northwest Florida State College-Niceville, Fl Associates of Arts Business Graduated Fall 2010 Cumulative Grade Point Average 3.88 Activities President of the Real Estate Society Florida State University Tallahassee, Fl Member FSU College of Business Presidents council Tallahassee, Fl United Way Day of Caring Destin, Fl Coral Reef Rebuild Santa Rosa Beach, Fl Parliamentary Chair Northwest Florida State College Niceville, Fl. Youth minister at Sanctuary of Praise Minister at Zion Hope Primitive Baptist Church |
Robert Kovacevich
Strategic Planning and Fundraising Consultancy |
Robert Kovacevich formed Avatar Company after more than a decade of service as a nationally awarded Public Broadcast Service senior executive. The new consultancy’s thrust was to apply market researched solutions to the challenges of nonprofit-sector strategic decision making and fundraising. This focus was prompted by the vexing issue that many nonprofit organizations’ missions or strategic plans were simply incompatible with the interests of their audiences; hence, chronic financial instability and underachieving strategic advancement.
A sampling of current/former clients include: strategic planning funded by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation for the Hot Springs, Arkansas’s Documentary Film Institute & Festival; fund development services for PBS’ Jim Lehrer NewsHour; capital campaign services for the Boca Raton Museum of Art and School, Sugden Theatre-Naples and Naples Botanical Garden; campaign readiness/feasibility study funded by the Donald Reynolds Foundation for Oklahoma’s Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art; capital, grant and strategic planning services for the Cornell Fine Arts Museum-Rollins College; multi year fundraising plan funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for the nationally awarded MicheLee Puppets. |
Wilma E. Mosley Clopton, Ph.D.
Historical Film Maker |
For a person who has been everywhere, now I have a focus," Wilma Mosley Clopton says. That focus for Clopton involves chronicling the African American story in Mississippi through the medium of film, reaching deeper into the community to find the "people, who are everyday people, that have done magnificent things." And Clopton really has been "everywhere": She studied psychology, education, and marketing; owned her own public relations firm; taught GED courses; served as a wholesale foods distributor; and now serves as the president of the Susan G. Komen Foundation (a survivor of breast cancer herself). Now she adds filmmaker, local historian, and documentarian to her list of professional endeavors.
A Vicksburg native, Clopton was reared in Jackson. After graduating from Jim Hill High School, she spent a long period of time away from Mississippi because of college, marriage (to husband, Lt. Col. William Clopton) and career, but she's been back home for the past decade. Clopton returned to Jackson in 2004 to continue her mother's vision of vitalizing interest in African American History, and has done so through a film company, NMHS Unlimited Film Productions, working with her mother's organization, The Negro in Mississippi Historical Society. "When my mother passed, I had made a promise to return to Mississippi and continue her work," Clopton says. "I had to figure out how best to do that. For me, film was the best interpretation of her company (NMHS) at this point of time." Clopton's mother, Dr. Jessie Bryant Mosley, founded NMHS in the 1940s when she discovered that many Mississippians were not familiar with the contributions that African Americans made to the state. Like her mother, Clopton focuses on Mississippi African American history and has created several documentaries featuring people such as Charles Evers (in "Through My Brother's Eyes" which focuses on his relationship with his younger brother, slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers) and Dr. Ollye Brown Shirley (the subject of "In Spite of it All"). Clopton recently completed a documentary that looks at the roles that Mississippi's people of African descent played during the Civil War, rediscovering the more than 17,000 individuals who have often been overlooked by historians. The filmmaker takes an interactive approach to filmmaking, combining educational supplements that give the audience a wider perspective and a chance to participate in the slices of history that they see on the screen. "With each of my films, I write publications to go with the film," Clopton says. "Rather than being a stand-alone film, we also use the books to teach math, language arts, geography and other subjects." The documentarian has been successful in integrating these learning tools into classrooms to go alongside her films and expresses the need to keep incorporating interactive techniques with film to draw audiences closer to the subject. Although Clopton's filmmaking craft is largely self-taught, she credits the non-profit organization Barefoot Workshops for helping her find the narrative rhythm of her stories to engages an audience. On Sept. 27, Clopton, in collaboration with Barefoot Workshops, the Mississippi Film Commission and the Mississippi Arts Commission, will provide a workshop for interested Mississippi filmmakers. Clopton will be speaking on the importance of honing the filmmaking craft and the need to be close to other creative talents when pursuing filmmaking. When she can find the time and resources, Clopton has an infinite number of stories that she's in the process of pursuing. Those projects include a film on the 1940s Lanier bus boycott, a biopic on Senator Henry J. Kirksey and a historical documentary on the historic Farish Street community in downtown Jackson. Clopton acknowledges that she won't be able to tell all the stories that she comes across, but that doesn't prevent her from trying. She's constantly improving her craft, and the next story is always the one that brings her happiness. "I feel very humble for the people that share their stories with me," Clopton says. "That's a gift for people to Tell their stories ... and if you sit down and talk with individuals, most people would realize that they have more in common than they believe. I guess that's really what I'm trying to do with film.” |
Theola Bright
'Art of Faith' |
THEOLA BRIGHT is an independent, interdisciplinary artist that is a native of Mobile, Alabama, and former Artist-In-Residence for the State of Alabama. She was educated at Blount high school in Mobile, Ann York Business school in New York City, Miami-Dade college, Florida International University, and Lindsey Hopkins Technical School in Miami, and Actors Models and Talent for Christ (AMTC) in Atlanta.
Bright is the CEO and Founder of T.C. Bright Productions Ministry, Inc. (TCBPM), which uses the arts to spread the gospel. TCBPM collaborates with other faith based, and non-profit organizations to produce major outreach productions such as The King of Kings Unity Concert, an annual event held in conjunction with the annual Unity Walk in Mobile, AL, the annual Mobile International Festival that features a show of Bright’s original African hair and fashion designs, and The Theatre of Truth (TTOT). which brings historical characters to life on stage throughout the year as educational entertainment; sponsored by various organizations. Theola is also the host for teaching seminars on God Consciousness, Healthy Eating and Living, Relationships, and Respect, which are presented by Theola Bright based on excerpts from her published books. These seminars are often presented with music,poetry, and songs from Bright’s collection as a vocalist and producer of the radio show, “Think About It With Theola Bright. “ |
Guenet Gittens-Roberts
CEO GGR Marketing & Public Relations |
Guenet Gittens-Roberts is CEO of GGR Marketing & Public Relations. She is responsible for developing and directing their communication strategy while also managing the agency’s outreach to the advertising, charitable and business communities. GGR Marketing & Public Relations was formed to develop and execute programs aimed at reaching multicultural communities and niche markets utilizing an effective mixture of relationship marketing, event marketing and branding through social media and traditional media sources.
GGR is a full service, public relations and marketing firm with the intention to serve as a “publicity machine” for our clients, ensuring that they are included in targeted publications and broadcast media while also utilizing social media and networking to build relationships. They offer a broad range of services that include marketing, public relations, branding, special event planning & management, sponsorship/fundraising, business development and media relations. GGR Marketing currently produce the largest Caribbean Festival in Orlando, the Orlando Carnival Downtown. She is the publisher of Caribbean American Passport News Magazine, the largest Caribbean owned Statewide Newspaper in Florida. Caribbean American Passport covers the people of the English, French and Spanish communities. Through their publishing arm, they were responsible for the publication of Mision Boricua a Spanish publication designed to raise awareness for the Puerto Rican community to vote in the 2016 election. Guenet is active in the community serving for the past 7 years as President of the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce, Vice President of Central Florida Association of Black Journalists, Vice President of the Guyanese American Cultural Association of Central Florida, Program Director of the Caribbean American Business Expo and Vice-President of Caribbean Affairs at Realty World Orlando. A native of Georgetown, Guyana, she spent five years at NCE Screen Printers, her family's 40 year old company developing ad campaigns for large and small companies and creating innovative corporate gift ideas out of combinations of print and local products. She maintains that this experience where she had to think outside the box remains at her core and allows her to come up with creative ideas that are diverse and interesting. Guenet is married to her partner in their business Sam Roberts and is the proud parents of 2 college kids, Aleia and Kadeem. |
Erik O’Neal
CulturalHeritage Artist |
Erik O’Neal took his first formal lesson at the Art Institute of Chicago. He later went on to study art at Southern University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree. Erik joined the Art Libraries Society of North America (ARLIS) in 2012. He also is a member of the Louisiana Art and Artists’ Guild and the Art Council of New Orleans. Erik was part of the Art Council of New Orleans’ 2012 class of “ Artist as Entrepreneurs”. Erik primarily works with pastels and oils. “Impressionistic realism is how I describe my work. My goal is to bring a sense of intensity to my work and invoke passion within the viewer. I want to recreate the moment”. Erik has exhibited his work across the country, including the East Baton Rouge Parish Library system multiple times. He has twice been selected to participate in the Great Gulf Coast Arts Festival (2009, 2012). Erik was a featured artist for the Gumbo Gallery in Pensacola, Florida for the month of June 2013. He is a gifted artist and historian and adept at teaching and conducting seminars and art events. Quote: “I’ve been creating art for as long as I can remember. I cannot imagine not doing it. Wherever I go, whomever I meet could be an inspiration for my next painting. Art is in all of us, it’s all around us.” |
Kitty Pope
Travel Clubs/ Tour Guides/ Programs |
Kitty J. Pope is the founder/ executive director of the International Association of Black Travel Writers. A graduate of University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, she is also the publications manager for AfricanDiasporaTourism.com, an online magazine, exploring the culture and heritage of people of African descent around the world in order to promote travel.
The author of one book, 'Beside Every Great Man' (Amber Publishers), Pope is the former lifestyle editor of the Atlanta-based Upscale Magazine and the former Coordinator of Counseling at Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina. She is also the director of membership development in North America for the International Council of Tourism Partners. (ICTP) Pope is also a black heritage travel consultant, and a member and media partner for the African Travel Association (ATA). She is also the founder and executive producer of the African Diaspora World Tourism Awards, a gala-ceremony that recognizes achievements of people in the areas of black culture and heritage tourism. |
Claudette Walker
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Claudette Walker
Profile & Key Qualifications U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) / Gulf of Mexico Program Community Liaison Specialist providing community based initiatives, activities, information and resources for five Gulf States (MS. AL. LA, FL and TX.) High energy, compassionate, excellent interpersonal skills; ability to interface with diverse cultures and age groups. Results orientated individual with a reputation as a self directed multilayered professional. _______________________Professional Experience ____________________________ U.S. Environmental Protection Agency/ Gulf of Mexico Program Gulfport, MS Community Liaison Specialist/ NCOA-SEE 2012-Present Responsibilities
Accomplishments
Biloxi- Gulfport Cultural Heritage Tourism Society Biloxi, MS- Owner 2012-present Responsibilities
Accomplishments
Education
Awards and Recognition
Personal Interest
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Christopher U. Lane,
MPH |
SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS
Seasoned Non-Profit Professional Award-Winning Grant Writer Seasoned Entrepreneur Program Evaluator Capacity Building/Technical Assistance Consultant Program Developer and Builder Fundraising Professional Public Speaker and Facilitator Public Health Educator Health Advocate Problem Solver Thoughtful Communicator EDUCATION JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY Jackson, MS PhD, Computational Data-Enabled Science and Engineering, Public Health in pursuit JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY Jackson, MS Masters of Public Health April 2016 UNIVERSITY OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Washington, DC Bachelor of Science, Health Education May 2013, 4.0 GPA UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA Columbia, SC Certificate, organizational and program development September 2006 PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE October 2015-present Jackson State University Jackson, MS Research Compliance Officer
October 2007-present 1Vision Solutions, LLC Washington, DC| Jackson, MS Senior Managing Director & Founder
ACCOMPLISHMENTS/SKILLS
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Mark O'Neal
President, Illinois Cultural Heritage Society |
Mark Stephen O'Neal was born November 22, 1966 in Chicago, Illinois. He attended Prairie View A&M University and graduated with a degree in Business Administration/Management. He's currently a paralegal by trade but developed his talent for writing many years ago.
One day after a taxing week of work in the banking industry, O'Neal got on his knees and prayed to the Lord for direction and guidance. The Holy Spirit then quietly and instantly gave him the instruction and inspiration to embark on his writing career, and thus an author was born. He currently has four books published on Amazon, and he has numerous projects in the works that will soon be released in the near future. O'Neal's best-selling book to date is titled Nefarious, a crime fiction drama about a young nightclub owner whose fast lifestyle soon catches up with him. His nightclub is subsequently robbed, and someone close to him is murdered. This intriguing story based in Chicago can be purchased on O'Neal's Amazon page. https://www.amazon.com/Mark-Stephen-ONeal/e/B074Y5K6TC |
Mark Miller
Author |
Mark Miller Books
For over seventeen years, I have been working with at risk kids and struggling readers. I have been a case manager for a children's mental health corporation, a family counselor for child protective services, and a teacher in juvenile justice facilities, alternative education programs, high schools, and middle schools. I currently teach reading and language arts in elementary school grades. More than ever, we must understand the importance of establishing a good foundation in reading from an early age. Kids will read if you give them something they want to read. The more they read, the better readers they become. I am on a mission to inspire more kids to read and adults to read more. Although my students inspire me to write novels with young adults in mind, my books address a variety of high interest topics that appeal to people of all ages. My first three novels are a reflection of my experiences working with kids in child protective services and juvenile justice facilities who have faced grave adversity. Chasing Faith- Cara was a good, Catholic school girl until her mother dies from an unexpected drug overdose and she is forced to live with her estranged father. Join this intelligent, courageous, young woman as she attempts to overcome the death of her mother, establish a relationship with her father, find her place in the world, and regain her faith. Baby Club- Every girl wants love. For Tynise, Ruby, Lauryn and Marisol, find love in one of the roughest projects in Chicago was no easy task. In the belief having a bay will fill the void, they make a bet to see which one can get pregnant first and Baby Club is born. How far will four fifteen year old girls go for the unconditional love they crave? The Inner Light- Follow Trouble, a boy born into a world of gangs and violence, a world of darkness. When his mother is arrested, he discovers a unique gift. He sees an inner light emanating from the heads of people who treat him well. The light guides him through the foster care and juvenile justice systems, the void of an absent mother, and a quest to find his own inner light. The Collective, Judgment- This science fiction novel explores the idea that we were never alone. The guardians of the universe have been watching us, guiding us, and protecting the most precious thing in the universe, life. Now they must make a decision. Is man ready to take their place in the Collective or is it time for judgement? Jomo Zende, The Arrival- Taken from his home in Africa at the age of ten, Jomo is enslaved on a cotton plantation in Georgia for six years. While being tied to a post for a whipping, Jomo finds the courage to run from his masters. He seeks refuge in a cave that is used as a hiding place for the Underground Railroad and discovers a mysterious light shining from deep within the cave. Seeking an escape, he runs into the light and emerges in the year twenty eighteen with great physical strength, enhanced senses, and futuristic weapons. Now, he must learn to adapt to his new powers in a world where all men and women are free but are not treated equally. *All titles available for sale on www.Amozon.com/books or kindle- search mark miller, (title of book) Please feel free to contact me or find more information about my novels at: *email: [email protected] *[email protected] #jomozende Your comments and reviews are appreciated! Sincerely, Mark Miller |
Lanre Ogedengbe
Human Resource Perfessional |
Lanre is a Technology and HRIS Savvy Human Resource Professional with over 10 years of experience in the Banking Industry. Vast in Compensation and Benefit, Employee Relations, Payroll Administration, Talent Management, Recruitment and Selection, Exit and Severance Management, Learning and Development, Reward Management, Labor Relations and Statutory Compliance. Keen on future niche in Human Resource Consultancy.
Lanre hailed from Okene,Kogi State. Born and raised in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. He has earned a Bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Benin, Benin, Edo State, Nigeria. Lanre is currently a member of The Chartered Institute of banker of Nigeria, Institute of Professional Administrators of Nigeria, and International Project Management of Nigeria. Lanre is an HR business partner who is very passionate and enjoys helping clients to attain their desire goals and ensuring best HR practices. Contact Information: Email: [email protected] Phone: +2347035332971 |
Frank R Morton
Music Director |
Frank R. Morton is a native of Nashville, Tennessee and is lauded for his musical knowledge and talent. While attending public school, Frank began taking music lessons in the fourth grade, playing the clarinet. Following his transfer to Cameron High School in the seventh grade, Frank began playing the alto saxophone and joined the marching and symphonic bands. As his talent became more pronounced, Morton changed instruments, and began playing the tenor saxophone studying great jazz saxophonists.
After graduating high school in 1967, with a music scholarship to the University of Maryland, he was directed by his family members (smile) to study music at Tennessee State University. While at Tennessee State, Frank studied music and played in local night clubs in Nashville. The country was at war in Viet Nam and his musical career was halted when Morton received his draft notice. He immediately joined the United States Navy. In the Navy, Frank Morton continued study music, when the opportunity was presented. He also decided to pursue a military career. His thirst for knowledge and improvement allowed him to earn an Associate of Arts Degree and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology for Columbia College in Columbia, Missouri. Frank retired with honors from the United States in 1998, following an illustrious career, with the top enlisted rank of Master Chief Petty Officer, and as a graduate of the prestigious Navy Senior Enlisted Academy. As a Senior Enlisted Academy graduate, Morton assumed the coveted position of Command Master Chief of two sea commands and two shore commands. After retiring, he taught physical science in public schools in Pensacola, Florida and again picked up his saxophone and studied music at the University of West Florida in Pensacola. Frank Morton is currently the Minister of Music at Emmaus Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida and plays Gospel and Smooth Jazz for private engagements. His love of music has taken Frank full circle, and he share his gifts with his community! |
David Williams
Photographer |
He was born in Norwalk, Connecticut, to a single parent, his grandparents Zack and O’jetta Williams travel to Connecticut and decided to bring their grandchildren David, his elder brother (Edward), and sister (Tina) to Camden, South Carolina where they lived and raised them. His grandmother, O’jetta was a domestic housekeeper; one of her clients would give her LOOK and LIFE magazines to take home for the kids.
David said he would spin an enornous amount of time viewing the large, full-page b/w images in the magazines. Many were photos from the Civil Rights movement, and the Vietnam war caught his attention, making him wonder who was capturing those incredible images. After high school, he moved back to Norwalk with his mother to rebound and get to know her and to find a job. Williams said, he left Norwalk, Ct and move to Binghamton, New York with his brother. Dissatisfied with the incredibly cold weather and going nowhere on his job. He was playing pool one night with a guy from the Navy; he talked about how he had traveled the world. As a free-lance in Binghamton that struck Williams interests because he was building his stock file of images to market to magazines, newspapers, and for commercial usage. Williams decided to join the Navy in 1979, after three months of bitter cold in boot camp in the Great Lakes, Illinois, after boot camp he was station at NAS Cecil Field in Jacksonville, Florida. He was attached to VS-32 an Anti-Submarine Squadron. He tells the story about meeting his first CO in the Navy who made it clear to Williams that he was prejudiced. Williams said, he let the Commanding Officer talked until he finally asked him did he have any questions. Williams said, CO you said you were prejudice, what is that all about? You don’t like red apple to green or red grapes to muscadine grapes. The CO said, no; I don’t like other squadrons, I want my squadron to be the absolute best squadron in the fleet. From the point on the two of them had an excellent relationship. After looking around Jacksonville and seeing what other photographers were doing (portraits, wedding, events), Williams said his subconious mind reflected back on those LOOK and LIFE magazine and the history. From 1981 to currently, his has capture many of the most inconic images in the history of Jacksonville’s Black History. Williams worked as a project manager of the coffee table book JACKSONVILLE, REFLECTIONS OF EXCELLENCE, with introduction wording by Wayne and Delores Barr Weaver. Prior sales and marketing director for ONYX Magazine. His work has been seen in Ebony magazine, Black Men magazine, New Your Time, George Benson worldwide tour book. His photography exhibition has been on displayed in the Ritz Theatre and Museum and he has been interviewed on River City Live. Many of the high profile R&B, Rap, Blues, and Jazz has been potographed by David. Williams has a traveling photography exhibition of many of Jacksonville iconic historic situation. He’s also on the Board of Director for Norman Studio Museum. Norman Studios was among the nation’s first to produce “race films” starring African American characters in positive, non-stereotypical roles. Contact Williams at: [email protected] or 904-254-7230. Veiw Williams interVIEW with Channel 4, RIVER CITY LIVE https://www.news4ja.com/river-city-live/jacksonville-documentarian-exhibit-at-the-ritz-theater-river-city-live?_vfz=medium%3Dsharebar |
Torrey Johnson
Fellow Artist |
Torrey Johnson was born on January 12, 1970 in Century Florida. He developed an interest in art at an early age. The catalyst that ignited his interest was a school project in the kindergarten. His abilities were nurtured by one of his teachers, who realized that he had a unique talent and a distinct style. She noted that his drawings appeared to come alive and were as expressive as a written piece of literature. The teacher recognized that this was a rare talent for such a young artist, and encouraged Torrey to continue to develop his extraordinary gift.
His artistic contributions to his community included the painting of the high school mascot on the gym floor and various other projects. The subjects of many of his works are women and their plight. Most of his paintings depict women living triumphantly, while others depict their strong will, during a time of adversity. Torrey was reared in a single parent home and the experiences from his upbringing, coupled with the teachings of his great grandmother, are a main source of his inspirations. He tries to paint pictures that not only give an accurate depiction of everyday life, but that also give hope to women. Mr. Johnson’s message to women is that your circumstances come to make you. They can make you stronger or they can destroy you;, it’s your choice. After graduating from high school, Torrey enlisted in the United States Army and served four years with an honorary discharge. After leaving the military, he began a new career with the Florida Department of Corrections, where he promoted through the ranks and held the position of Warden until his retirement in 2018, after approximately 25 years of service. He is now vary active within in the Arts Community and looking forward to continued success in his first love, “The Arts”. |
Victor Bouadjio
Author |
He was awarded the prestigious literary prize in Black Africa, le Grand Prix Littéraire d’Afrique noire, in 1990 for his first novel “Demain est encore loin” (“Tomorrow is still a long way away”).
From African grammar schools to the universities of Paris XI (where he got a Doctorate in micro-electronics), and from the USA (Oklahoma and Wyoming) through to Sciences Po (political science), he worked in private companies after completing his education. He later taught in higher education before creating the publishing house “Ecrire Aujourd’hui” of which he is the director. In 1996 he set up the Ebena Institute which works for African values and aims to erase, in all individuals, the consequences of all forms of enslavement of man by man or of the dominations that might have been suffered, directly or by genealogical transmission, such as : - the sequels impressed on a person by centuries of slavery - the difficult family conditions which prevent someone to develop his or her talents. In 2004, Victor Bouadjio created, within the framework of Ebena, the “Salon du Livre Africain d'Angers” (Angers African Book Fair) and a publishing company centred on African themes. Ebena also becomes a centre of writing and publishing consecrated to the way of thinking and the immaterial values of Africa. Publications Novels Tomorrow is still far away, publisher Balland (Paris, 1989). Chronicles of an African village (West Cameroon). The inhabitants of Touni make up a community of ten thousand uncouth and stubborn peasants, “very difficult” according to colonial archives and deeply attached to their tribal self-sufficiencies. The village, publisher : l’Hèbe (Switzerland, 1998): A Jesuit from Quebec, Laberge is carrying out a 30-year mission at the heart of Africa without looking back. In this vast continent with its many and baffling customs and traditions, he has come accross all sorts of men. But chance has put on his way a desperate adolescent in a burning country. With the ardent faith that he has in man, whatever the race or belief, this encounter will set him on a new mission: to make this child become a high-level executive in an extremely poor country. Black fireflies, publisher : Wilquin (Belgium, 2011): In Quebec, a Jesuit performs a very strange exorcism. In Africa, a 20-year old boy dies from loving his country too much. In France, a young girl, barely out of childhood, coming from Africa to study medicine, discovers at the same the secret of her birth, the misfortune of her people and the power of words... The Veneta, historical novel, publisher : Balland (Paris) Novel of a country since the First World War. Cameroon is one of the most former German colony under a dual French and English mandate in 1918. After its independence (1960), intrigues began to appear that will plunge into an endless state of emergency. This is the beginning of a story which, according to the unanimous opinion of historians, will be the foundation of the Françafrique. The issue at stake in The Veneta is not only the fate of this territory, but also the fate of the entire African continent. The story is told through genealogy of a family : an indigenous dynasty composed of characters belonging to the class of nobles, intrepid, indomitable and profound men committed to their values. They fight hard, but they also have to deal with the new powers that are being torn apart in a relentless war. Faced with skilful manoeuvres, nationalists, newly arrived in business and not very experienced in political confrontations, will have to go into battle without weapons and without any real strategy. A prince whose father was an officer of the Deutsches Herr under occupation German, dedicates its existence to the search for the trigger that will awaken the the continent's sleeping consciousness. Many characters evolve in this story which constitutes a true metaphor for a century of uncertainty in an Africa in search of landmarks. Next novel The valley where the deaf hear Alice Magni, a 38-year-old female doctor, runs a health centre in an African village. From a Quebec father (Leopold) and an African mother (Kamini), she discovered the secret of her birth at the age of twenty-one. Between March and October 2018, she witnessed the deliquescence of her country and sought to understand the deep origin of the curse that has plagued the entire continent (the Great Basin) for so many generations. Through two genealogies, his own and that of another character, Sessana, Alice realizes that in fact, considerable unidentified forces weigh on the country and direct its destiny towards an inevitable implosion. It is a real system that makes fun of development plans, humanitarian missions, the work of charities and (the other big secret of "The Valley Where the Deaf Hear") inhibits indigenous energies and amplifies migration movements. Alice, then, makes her examination of conscience: should she continue to heal people while being aware that the "system", at the same time, works tirelessly to annihilate any human progress in the country ? Alice proceeds like Leopold, her father, thirty-nine years earlier: she makes a turnaround in October 2018, when the country, a country that is also bilingual, sinks into a fratricidal war between the French-speaking region and the English-speaking region. In 2045, finally, the narrator decided to write this story. And it is there that we discover that she pursued her passion to care for Quebec, her second homeland, in a peaceful country. Above all, it had killed two birds with one stone: when it left the Great Basin, it had made sure to build a museum on the spot, to show the mechanisms by which, during all these years of ice, the country cracked under the weight of the “system”. Non-fiction Slavery, 150 years after. Publisher, Insitut du Monde noir (Nantes). The black continent has a past whose weight still crushes the present. A past of slavery and colonisation which still has its influence on the problems that affect the daily life of its people. Points of view differ as to the solutions, some preferring aid as a miracle remedy; others fundamentally prefer education and even an evolution of mentalities. This work is an attempt at writing the history of the African problem. It identifies the distant origins of the prejudices and racism which pursue the Africans and above all, it designates one the causes of the black under-development: the absence of communication which isolates its hundreds of millions inhabitants. The roads of knowledge, publisher, Institut Ebena (Angers). This book was written for our contemporaries of exception who have a deep faith in the case humane. These men and women are strongly convinced that among all creatures, Man, whatever are its origin and the color of its skin, is a unique species which constitutes a pool of unsuspected potential, of the possibilities that could be revealed at any time, but in exceptional contexts and, above all, if a number of favourable conditions are met. They think, these rare figures we have the honour to propose this reflection, that the right of access to knowledge guaranteed for all peoples is a sacred right. In these are the pioneers of a new era of walking of a history that is accelerating in the third millennium. Because, isn't it true that any individual, any people with disabilities delay the progress of all humanity? But "The Roads of Knowledge - Africa, 20 years later? announces and prepares another editorial event in particular by course, "The Testament of Africans": it will be the sum of the misfortunes and disasters that have struck Africa since the dawn of time; but also, in a recognition eternal, the list of people of good will who, through their action, were able to contribute to the awakening and progress of this continent and its children whose traditions, thoughts and thoughts and consciousness have been in a coma for generations. This document of more than 1000 pages will be a collective written text by Africans, Africans, Africans and the diaspora across the five continents. (Book written with contribution of Pr Many Camara). The awakening of the pharaoh, publisher, Institut Ebena (Angers). Black Africa is a big thorn in the conscience of humanity. Never having dared to look this pain in the face, the world has only maintained it, century after century. Evil, then, has become more complicated over the generations. So much so that the men of our time are trying, in a vain and tireless attempt, to repress it. Why ? Why ? To free their memory from the sins of which the African, identified by his colour, has been a victim throughout history. Embarrassed by the martyrdom of this people through slavery and colonization, nations are now trying to avoid the black question by proclaiming the fundamental principles of "solidarity" and "mutual respect among peoples" as enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. Eastern and Western dominations first and then reduced the African to the rank of sub-human and wild beast by promising him light, well-being and salvation through his civilization (religion, culture, wealth, values and knowledge). And several publications on the world of writing and publishing : Writing and being published, All about publishing houses, Writing a biography. And under pseudonyms : The professional writer, Writing well from A to Z, All about publishing houses, Scriptor. |
Joseph Dhaiti
National Asset Building Coalition, Inc. General Contractor (advisor) |
Joseph Dhaiti is the Founding Partner and Vice President of Cobblestone Construction Enterprise, Inc. Joseph has worked in the construction industry for more than 20 years. He has experience as a commercial and residential contractor. Dhaiti learned his trade from an expert craftsman in the construction industry. Joseph worked extremely hard to acquire all the knowledge his mentor had to offer. Coupled with traditional education, Joseph gained unequalled experience as a protégé’ and soon was a most sought out manager and builder in the Miami area.
After years of working as a Project Manager for several large companies, Joseph decided to form his own company to produce homes and building per his expertise. He was moved to create a building company that emphasized quality, after seeing a renovations that were poorly done by other contractors. Additionally, Joseph had a strong desire to encourage young people to enter the building trades, a give something back, especially to young adults from disadvantaged communities; the same as his mentor had done for him many years before. Joseph has positioned Cobblestone Construction as a quality company that care about the industry and the community. Joseph is recognized as a model for the building industry and a promoter of skilled trades. He advocates for fair standards and regulations on the behalf of the industry and for improved building standards. Joseph is an extraordinary individual the is trying to make a measurable difference in the industry and in his community. GLC3 Inc. 05/2000 – 12/2012; Miami, FL. Project Manager/Qualifier, Collaborate with Architects and Sub-contractors; Order and approve inventory and building supplies; Supervised Union and Non-Union workers; Pulled all appropriate permits; Identify and resolved all issues in a timely manner; Performed all construction sites pre-inspections; Led the planning, budgeting and directive of all construction projects. Cobblestone Construction Enterprise, Inc. and Associated Companiies 08/2001 – Present; Pensacola, FL Project Manager/Qualifier; Pulled permits; Bid on contracts; Estimated job cost; Prepared time schedule; Ensured all OSHA regulation protocols are followed; Analyzed critical path method scheduling. EDUCATION: New Jersey Institute of Technology, Associate Degree Electronic Engineering. 05/1994; Miami-Dade College, Associate Degree Construction Project Management. 03/2005; CERTIFICATIONS AND LICENSES: § Certified licensed and Insured General Contractor in the State of Florida; § Electrical Technician Certificate |
Jeremie Samuel
Author/Researcher |
Jeremie Samuel was born in Pensacola, Florida on January 5, 1987. He attended Florida State University where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in English in 2010. While studying at Florida State University in Tallahassee, he developed a strong desire to reconnect with his ancestry. Samuel begin to read literature on the ancient history of Africa and America. His inspiration came after reading the autobiography of Malcolm X and learning teachings of the Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Prophet Noble Drew Ali and the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. Prophet Noble Drew Ali established the Moorish Science Temple in 1913 and through his teaching on the Moors of antiquity and their transoceanic empire, Samuel turned his focus on the Moorish paradigm and their influence on the world as we know it today. Jeremie Samuel specializes in Moorish and Pre-Columbian American history. In 2015, through the observations in his hometown of Pensacola, he applied the research and his writing skills to bring about a new perspective of history in his first published book, “The Moorish Essence of Pensacola”. His book analyzes the congruent climate and ecology which cultivates Pensacola in the likeness of Moorish Spain and Morocco. Explorers embarked in quest of the rich territory of Pensacola and Estevanico the Moor, born in Morocco, reached her shores in 1528. The layout of the city’s main districts of Cordova, Seville, and Granada correspond with the great ancient cities of Cordova, Seville, and Granada in Moorish Spain. With passions in ancestral knowledge, history, and culture, Samuel’s aspirations are to share his findings through lectures, publications, and the industry of tourism.
For more information about the book and author, visit https://littlealandalus.wordpress.com/ or the Facebook page: The Moorish Essence of Pensacola-Book.
Jeremie Samuel is available for interviews at (850.748.7060) Email: [email protected] |