“Surrender control to the supreme wisdom and authority of God and to the Divine in your soul. Step into the void with courage. Learn to say, “I don’t know.” That’s not blind faith. It’s pure faith that will allow God and your spirit to lead you wherever your soul wants and needs to go.” Melody Beattie
The opening reception for the inaugural Women of the World (WOW) festival at the Meyerhof Symphony Hall included a cocktail- supper reception with Baltimore Symphony conductor Marin Alsop who mingled throughout the reception talking to the guests about her excitement with WOW in Baltimore and her experiences at the London WOW festival.
“I assumed there would be an influx of women on the podium, but there are not many more at my level than there were 20 years ago. Maybe boards don’t want to hire women because they don’t meet the archetypal image of the maestro.” Marin Alsop
The evening included Fulbright Scholar Dr. Anita Nahal sharing her thoughts on the “Global woman.” After the discussion, Alsop and members of the symphony joined us for dessert in the lobby before we joined them for an exclusive BSO rehearsal of “Voices of Light”, combining Richard Einhorn’s score with silent film “The Passion of Joan of Arc.” Among the guests enjoying the evening were Judge Marcella Holland, Beverly Carter, Sheilah Davenport, Wayne & Pat Frazier, David Hodnett, Brenda Bake, Karenthia Barber, Takiea Hinton, Irvina Mallory, Annette March-Grier and Barbara Armstrong.
“A singer starts by having his instrument as a gift from God. When you have been given something in a moment of grace, it is sacrilegious to be greedy.” Marian Anderson
Congratulations to Karenthia Barber, recipient of the Dr. Flossie Dedmond Spirit Award at the AKA Epsilon Omega Founders Day luncheon. We remember Dean Dedmond from Coppin as an exceptional educator, community advocate and woman of faith. Karenthia possess the qualities that Dean Dedmond instilled in us.
“I decided blacks should not have to experience the difficulties I had faced, so I decided to open a flying school and teach other black women to fly.” Bessie Coleman
The Air Force District of Washington at Andrews Air Force Base is hosting a Meet & Greet on April 17 to increase its Small Business contracts. Visit www.fbo.gov to register by March 23.
“We all need to start making some changes to how our families eat. Now, everyone loves a good Sunday dinner, me included; and there’s nothing wrong with that. The problem is when we eat Sunday dinner Monday through Saturday.” Michelle Obama
The feast at the Impressions’ Round Robin Tuesday Night, hosted by owner Libby at Tequila Sunset had us licking our fingers while devouring smothered pork chops, cabbage and more. “You got that magic touch” Libby called me Tuesday afternoon and said, “We’re having pork chops tonight”; like “Jumping Jack Flash,” I sent an email to the Friday Night Bunch to meet on the Avenue. Libby knows I like smothered pork chops; the center cut chops were smothered in caramel colored gravy, so tender you could cut with a plastic knife. I wish I had eaten two but I remember what Mama said.
“I am not satisfied in making money for myself. I endeavor to provide employment for hundreds of the women of my race.” Madame C.J. Walker
Tiffany Tate said the farmer’s market soup lady has opened The Big Bean Theory in Owings Mills’ mall, with creative and traditional dishes using beans.
“Beans and cornbread had a fight, beans knocked cornbread outta sight.” Louis Jordan
Items on the menu include chicken salad with black beans, Maryland crab soup with lima beans, chicken vegetable lasagna with black beans and fried fish on Fridays. Other items include vegetarian and vegan dishes like beet hummus and sweet tea made with fresh fruit and spinach.
“We do not ask that anyone of our people shall be put into a position because he is a colored person, but we do most emphatically ask that he shall not be kept out of a position because he is a colored person.” Fanny Jackson Coppin
This column was to be about women and their impact on the structuring of our country but we changed our course to salute Larry Gibson, a person who has influenced our society and women during his lifetime.
“The way you do the things you do,” as a husband, father, grandfather, lawyer, professor, historian, advocate, and friend we salute Larry on his 70th birthday March 22 and his 50 years as a Kappa Man.
“Whatever with the past has gone, the best is always yet to come.” Lucy Larcom
Happy Birthday Lorraine Eason, Michele McNeil Emery, Rosemary “Duchess Atkinson, Myron Bundy, Debbie Taylor, Winky Camphor, Charlotte Harper and Mayor Stephanie Rawlings Blake. A happy 65th, Martha Puryear.
“The bittersweet tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone” Harriet Beecher Stowe
Condolences to Stafford Sutton and family on the death of his mother First Lady Bertha Sutton of Maryland Church of God in Christ; Cynthia Jackson on the death of her mother Marie Hinton; Dominic & Rorye Jordan on the death of his grandmother Hermia Jordan and Candace & Dante Daniels on the death of her grandmother Artis Williams.
“Women in particular need to keep an eye on their physical and mental health, because if we’re scurrying to and from appointments and errands, we don’t have a lot of time to take care of ourselves. We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own ‘to do’ list.” Michelle Obama
Aleuta Continua Valerie & the Friday Night Bunch