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IN MEMORIAM: The Rev. Ralph White – A ‘servant’ to the end

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Bloomfield Baptist Church at 123 South Parkway West is a fixture in South Memphis. So was Pastor White, who had served there 33 years…and still was doing the work. Rev. White viewed Bloomfield as an outreach post, having founded the GOD SO LOVED Prayer and Outreach Ministry there.

Published

5 years ago

June 2, 2019

Oakland Post

By Karanja A. Ajanaku, The New Tri-State Defender

God, love and ministry was a trinity embodied by the life of the Rev. Ralph White, the servant-oriented pastor of Bloomfield Full Gospel Baptist Church in South Memphis. Rev. White was officiating a funeral when he passed away Saturday.

“So very sorry to hear. He was my friend and brother beloved,” posted the Rev. Dr. Alvin O’Neal Jackson upon getting the word. “Well done, good and faithful Servant!”

Jackson was among the many reflecting and flowing “blessings and love” to Rev. White’s family.

“Rev. Ralph White was a religious leader, community activist, and a friend,” said NAACP Memphis Branch President Deidre Malone. “I will miss our conversations on the challenges facing our communities. I will continue to work on, and fight for those solutions that we discussed are needed. … Rest in Peace, my friend.”

Bloomfield Baptist Church at 123 South Parkway West is a fixture in South Memphis. So was Pastor White, who had served there 33 years…and still was doing the work. Rev. White viewed Bloomfield as an outreach post, having founded the GOD SO LOVED Prayer and Outreach Ministry there.

Roll the clock back and there are multiple points from which to view Rev. White in outreach-ministry mode, speaking about the need to do better and be better. Take the evening of Nov. 20, 2017 for example.

“We must do better individually, so we can be better together, said Rev. White in the wake of the fatal, drive-by shooting of a 10-year-old boy. He had opened the church for a community meeting that served as a summons to join the “God So Loved Initiative.”

“It’s time that we actually go in these communities to see what their needs are, and what we can do to help. Remember, we’re all in this fight together.”

A few months earlier, a two-year-old girl had been killed in a road-rage shooting, fueling a root-level push for a sustained and comprehensive plan of action involving coordination with churches in various neighborhoods, and having volunteers take a hands-on approach in Memphis’ most crime-ridded areas.

Said Rev. White at the time, “We can’t just deal with crime. …We are dealing with education, we’re dealing with jobs, training … a whole package. The crime is just an aftereffect of a greater cause.”

Rev. White was not shy about sharing his views about how to make Memphis better.

“I’ve know him for 25 years and always enjoyed visiting with, and getting advise from him,” tweeted mayor Jim Strickland, recalling Rev. White as “a good man who leaves a strong legacy for Memphis.”

State Rep. Antonio Parkinson’s Twitter post spoke to that legacy.

“We have lost a true soldier in the fight for equality, dignity and truth in Reverend Ralph White.”

A native Memphian, Rev. White was a Memphis City Schools product. He built upon that base at the University of Arkansas, Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis) and Mid-South Bible College. He received an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Detroit (Mich.) Bible College.

A long-time member of the Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board, Rev. White’s service through community organizations also included: Board member of Citizens for Community Values of Memphis, Memphis church relations leader for Convoy of Hope, political and social action leader for the Baptist Ministerial Association, board member of the Religious Alliance Against Pornography (RAAP), member of Shelby County Domestic Violence Task Force, former West Tennessee field representative for Promise Keepers International.

Rev. White also founded the Annual Martin Luther King Park Fishing Rodeo event sponsored and offered by Bloomfield to children of all ages.

On Sunday morning, Brandy Hall posted this Facebook reflection:

“2 words come to my mind this morning. They are perseverance and regret. Pastor Ralph White was persistent! He never let illness, age, people’s criticism, thoughts or opinions STOP him from living his purpose filled life! He has done some truly remarkable things for this city! Things some thought he would not be able to do. When he faced health issues he went on to finish his race like nothing happened!! To his very last breath he LIVED doing what he loved…SERVING!!! He lived a life without regret! It didn’t seem real until this morning.”

At Rev. White’s side as his wife for the last 39 years was Janet White, also a minister. She was in the pulpit Sunday as Bloomfield held its regular Sunday services.

Also left to celebrate Rev. White’s legacy are three children and seven grandchildren.

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IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, activist Ramona Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Once upon a time, Black Americans were simply known as colored people, or Negroes. That is until Ramona Edelin came along. The activist, renowned for her pivotal roles in advancing civil rights, education reform, and community empowerment, died at her D.C. residence last month at the age of 78. Her death, finally confirmed this week by Barnaby Towns, a communications strategist who collaborated with Dr. Edelin, was attributed to cancer.

Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.

Edelin’s contributions to academia and activism were manifold. She was pivotal in popularizing the term “African American” alongside Rev. Jesse L. Jackson in the late 1980s.

Jackson had announced the preference for “African American,” speaking for summit organizers that included Dr. Edelin. “Just as we were called Colored, but were not that, and then Negro, but not that, to be called Black is just as baseless,” he said, adding that “African American” “has cultural integrity” and “puts us in our proper historical context.”

Later, Edelin told Ebony magazine, “Calling ourselves African Americans is the first step in the cultural offensive,” while linking the name change to a “cultural renaissance” in which Black Americans reconnected with their history and heritage.

“Who are we if we don’t acknowledge our motherland?” she asked later. “When a child in a ghetto calls himself African American, immediately he’s international. You’ve taken him from the ghetto and put him on the globe.”

The HistoryMakers bio noted that Edelin’s academic pursuits led her to found and chair the Department of African American Studies at Northeastern University, where she established herself as a leading voice.

Transitioning from academia to advocacy, Edelin joined the National Urban Coalition in 1977, eventually ascending to president and CEO. During her tenure, she spearheaded initiatives such as the “Say Yes to a Youngster’s Future” program, which provided crucial support in math, science, and technology to youth and teachers of color in urban areas. Her biography noted that Edelin’s efforts extended nationwide through partnerships with organizations like the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Education.

President Bill Clinton recognized Edelin’s expertise by appointing her to the Presidential Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 1998. She also co-founded and served as treasurer of the Black Leadership Forum, solidifying her standing as a respected leader in African American communities.

Beyond her professional achievements, Edelin dedicated herself to numerous boards and committees, including chairing the District of Columbia Educational Goals 2000 Panel and contributing to the Federal Advisory Committee for the Black Community Crusade for Children.

Throughout her life, Edelin received widespread recognition for her contributions. Ebony magazine honored her as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans, and she received prestigious awards such as the Southern Christian Leadership Award for Progressive Leadership and the IBM Community Executive Program Award.

The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Stacy M. Brown

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Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Tennessee State University (TSU), the state’s only public historically Black college and university (HBCU), faces a tumultuous future as Gov. Bill Lee dissolved its board, a move supported by racist conservatives and MAGA Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly, who follow the lead of the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, alleged sexual predator former President Donald Trump. Educators and others have denounced the move as an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and a grave setback for higher education.

Critics argue that TSU’s purported financial mismanagement is a manufactured crisis rooted in decades of underinvestment by the state government. They’ve noted that it continues a trend by conservatives and the racist MAGA movement to eliminate opportunities for Blacks in education, corporate America, and the public sector.

Gevin Reynolds, a former speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasizes in an op-ed that TSU’s financial difficulties are not the result of university leadership because a recent audit found no evidence of fraud or malfeasance.

Reynolds noted that the disbanding of TSU’s board is not an isolated incident but part of a broader assault on DE&I initiatives nationwide. Ten states, including Tennessee, have enacted laws banning DE&I policies on college campuses, while governors appointing MAGA loyalists to university trustee positions further undermine efforts to promote inclusivity and equality.

Moreover, recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.

The actions echo historical efforts to suppress Black progress, reminiscent of the violent backlash against gains made during the Reconstruction era. President Joe Biden warned during an appearance in New York last month that Trump desires to bring the nation back to the 18th and 19th centuries – in other words, to see, among other things, African Americans back in the chains of slavery, women subservient to men without any say over their bodies, and all voting rights restricted to white men.

The parallels are stark, with white supremacist ideologies used to justify attacks on Black institutions and disenfranchise marginalized communities, Reynolds argued.

In response to these challenges, advocates stress the urgency of collective action to defend democracy and combat systemic racism. Understanding that attacks on institutions like TSU are symptomatic of broader threats to democratic norms, they call for increased civic engagement and voting at all levels of government.

The actions of people dedicated to upholding the principles of inclusivity, equity, and justice for all will determine the outcome of the ongoing fight for democracy, Reynolds noted. “We are in a war for our democracy, one whose outcome will be determined by every line on every ballot at every precinct,” he stated.

The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Stacy M. Brown

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Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy

May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.