Volume 12 • Number 4 The Michigan Banner February 16, 2015 First Great Lakes Bay Regional Newspaper Celebrating Black Celebrating 12 years of Positive News! History Month Leading in Diversity “Empowering Communities and Changing Lives” Selma—50they asked whereMiles we were from, and talked for a few minutes. What stood out about the two officers, in addition to their being friendly and talkative, one was Black and one was White. It is important that every man, woman, and child, no Making a Positive Difference matter what their ethnicity is, go to see the movie “Selma.” P 3 The movie, “Selma”, will help you understand why the journey Dr. King traveled was so important. You will understand why Rosa Parks did what she did. The reason Emmett Till’s mother made the agonizing decision she made. To understand why the Saginaw Negro Community, decided to organize the NAACP Branch on July 13, 1919 at Bethel AME Church. The NAACP Charter, Saginaw Branch, was granted on August 25, 1919. The first President was Rev. Peter S. Marks, of Bethel AME Church. Congratulations! The purpose was to give the families a chance to meet with each other and discuss their problems in P LB1 Saginaw, as the NAACP would help them to have a Leola Wilson better community. This is why the Saginaw Branch continues in the By Leola Wilson, President fight for equal justice. There must be fairness and NAACP, Saginaw Branch equality in every aspect of our community; housing, Saginaw - It was fifteen years ago, when three education, employment, voting requirements, healthcare, generations of my family made the drive to Panama all civic engagement. City, Florida, to spend Thanksgiving with my son, The 106th anniversary of the founding of the NAACP Bryan, wife Terry, and their son, Andrew. Bryan at was February 12, 2015, and the foundation of the Accepting the Challenge that time was an active officer in the air force and organization included men and women of both races. P 16 stationed at Tyndall Air Force Base. We find the NAACP’s need still exist today, and We stopped in Montgomery, Alabama for breakfast we continue to grasp the importance of equality and as we were leaving, I noticed a sign, Selma, 50 and fairness. miles. The strong history person, I am, as also our driver, We owe it to our National and Local Founders my daughter Rhonda, immediately said, “Let’s do it.” to continue the Fight for Equality. We were heading to Selma, a city we only knew of because we had read about it in Ebony, Jet, and listened to others talk about the march, at NAACP Conventions and Freedom Fund Dinners. Telling the others what happened on that Bloody Continuing to Influence... Sunday as peaceful demonstrators marched from Selma to Montgomery to demand their voting rights, Rhonda P 26 and I begin to cry. As we verbally retraced the steps of history on our destination to the infamous Edmund Pettus Bridge, Rhonda further explained why it was important to take this opportunity. Everyone in the car had only lived in Michigan, born in Saginaw or Detroit. Arriving in Selma, we knew we had to also walk the main street. When we returned to our vehicle, two police officers were parked next to us and were returning to their car also. Serving Together! We asked for directions to the highway to Florida, and March to Selma on March 7, 1965 P 27 February 16, 2015 Community The National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Incorporated, Gamma Kappa Chapter Honors Community Leaders Dr. Mamie T. Thorns Gil Johnson Sandra Lindsey Wardene Talley Robert Van Deventer Saginaw Valley State University President, Saginaw Valley CEO, SCCMHA Project Director, Saginaw President/CEO Saginaw Ford Lincoln MAX System of Care County Chamber of Commerce Submitted by Dr. Lillian Jones Thomas, President and the campus community on matters President,National Sorority of related to maintaining and enhancing a diverse and Phi Delta Kappa, Incorporated, dynamic campus environment. Gamma Kappa Chapter The 2015 Community Award Recipients “Renewing the Spirit of Empowerment” honorees were: Mr. Gilbert Johnson, President of Saginaw Valley Ford Lincoln. Saginaw Valley Ford Lincoln is one of about 47 dealerships within the United States that boasts African American ownership. Mr. Johnson has been recognized as a member of the Black Enterprise Top 100 on numerous occasions and is presently a member of the advisory council of the College of Business Management at Saginaw Valley State University. Mrs. Sandra Lindsey, Chief Executive Officer Jerome Buckley, Owner/ Publisher, The Michigan of the Saginaw County Community Mental Health Banner Newspaper, Wardene Talley, Community Authority since June, 2000. Award Recipient, Gil Johnson,Community Award She has spent 30 plus years working with or on Recipient, Sandra Lindsey, Community Award Recipient, Mitchell Nickleberry,Owner/Publisher, The sorority’s two youth groups—The Xinos and behalf of persons with mental illness, developmental disabilities or substance use disorders and their families. WORD UP Community Magazine Kudos”-- special presentation saluting the honorees. Photo Credit: The Michigan Banner Photo Credit: The Michigan Banner Mrs. Lindsey has most recently been asked to assist Central Michigan’s Medical School plan for This is a 9 million dollar Substance Abuse and Saginaw - The National Sorority of Phi Delta the establishment of a psychiatric residency program Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) Kappa, Incorporated, Gamma Kappa Chapter recently at the new Central Michigan University Medical School. hosted 175 guests at its Ninth Annual Dr. Martin funded grant initiative. The initiative was recently Mrs. Wardene Bonds Talley, Project Director awarded an additional 4 million dollars to continue Luther King, Jr. Prayer Breakfast on Saturday, of Saginaw MAX System of Care for the past 4 years. January 31, 2015 at the Horizons Conference Center. the phenomenal work that began 5 years ago. The honorees represent hope for the disenfranchised, Ms. Talley is committed to the growth and the voice of those who cannot speak for themselves, development of this community and the improvement and leaders of business and industry that bring people of the life circumstance of children and youth with together in unity to work for the common good. mental health and behavior challenges. Their work in the community represents love, Mr. Robert Van Deventer, IOM, President/CEO longsuffering, generosity, and excellence. Saginaw County Chamber of Commerce since The Theme of the MLK Prayer Breakfast was: August, 2003. Renewing the Spirit of Empowerment. He has been a member of the Great Lakes Bay The guest speaker was Dr. Mamie T. Thorns, Regional (GLBR) business community since 1974 Special Assistant to the President for Diversity and worked in all three communities in the region Programs at Saginaw Valley State University. (Bay, Midland, Saginaw) prior to his position as Dr. Thorns is responsible for providing leadership President/CEO of the Saginaw County Chamber. and coordination of SVSU’s programs related to National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Incorporated, He has served as a community volunteer and Diversity, equal opportunity and affirmative Gamma Kappa Chapter Prayer Breakfast Guests. as a committee and/or board member for many action. She serves as the primary advisor to the Photo Credit: The Michigan Banner non-profit organizations throughout the region. February 16, 2015 Reaching the Goal to Serve the Community church-sponsored oratorical contests that took her and other youth to national competitions. “Church was something that everybody could belong to,” she said. Mt. Olive must continue to practice biblical giving in every sense of the word, Smith argues. That means giving through evangelism, fellowship, worship, ministry and discipleship. “The goal is for every household, flock and ministry to participate throughout the year in making a positive difference in a life outside the walls of Mt. Olive,” he said. Mt. Olive community projects include volunteering at Saginaw’s East Side Soup Kitchen, ministering to residents at the nearby Restoration Recovery facility, providing Thanksgiving dinner to homeless shelter residents, and participating Rev. Dr. Marvin Timothy Smith in local CROP and breast cancer walks. Saginaw - When Dr. Marvin T. Smith, pastor The church also provides caps and gloves of Mt. Olive Institutional Missionary Baptist to Jessie Rouse Elementary School students, Church in Saginaw, challenged his congregation donates goods to the military, and supports the to “leave the building,” he was continuing the Saginaw Covenant Hospital’s Neo Natal Unit. church’s history of serving the community. And in a more recent development, Smith now In 1932, a small group of people organized delivers a live prayer message to the public on a club known as the Busy Bees. It was out of Thursdays at 6:30 a.m. this group that Mt. Olive Baptist Church was In addition: formed in 1933 at the home of Mr. and Mrs. • Mt. Olive has seen its congregation grow Wilbur M. Gills. to nearly 1,600 and ministries double since Smith As the congregation grew and more space and his family joined the church in 1998. was needed, the church, located at 1114 N. Sixth • The church now has two Sunday morning in Saginaw, was built in 1941. worship services. Fire completely destroyed the building in • Attendance to two mid-day bible studies 1944 and it was re-built at the same location. – one on Tuesdays at noon and the other on Since then, the church has undergone a number Wednesday evenings has increased. of physical changes in order to meet a growing • Support staff has grown from two to fourteen. congregation and community needs. • Four different praise teams now perform Today, the 20,700 square foot facility houses at the church and in the community. a barrier free annex, the J.