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Senior advocate continues legacy of love and service

NNPA NEWSWIRE — For 35 years, Ruth Tate directed the activities, special events, bus excursions, and even a trip to Europe for senior participants. Tate is now director emeritus. Even at the age of 87, not too much goes on without her input. But on May 1, the staff of the Ruth Tate Center did something about that.

Published

5 years ago

July 8, 2019

Oakland Post

By Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell, Special to The New Tri-State Defender

It’s hard to surprise a woman like Ruth Tate, especially at the Ruth Tate Senior Center in South Memphis.

For 35 years, she directed the activities, special events, bus excursions, and even a trip to Europe for senior participants. Tate is now director emeritus. Even at the age of 87, not too much goes on without her input. But on May 1, the staff of the Ruth Tate Center did something about that.

“Ms. Tate started the senior center. She was honored some years back, and the center was named after her,” said Alton Edwards, president of the Ruth Tate Council at the center. “We thought it would be a great idea to surprise Ms. Tate on her birthday with a party!”

Edwards and the other seniors pulled off the near-Herculean feat of keeping the party under wraps during the careful planning and execution of one of the year’s most highly-anticipated events.

“Over the years, Ms. Tate has helped so many families,” said Crystal Conley, the acting director for the center. “It is so important for seniors to stay actively engaged in socializing with their peers and being a part of a social network. The center is an important outlet, an extension of the family.

“Keeping seniors active and happy contributes to longevity and enhances the quality of life,” Conley continued. “So many seniors and their families over the years owe so much to the work of Ms. Tate.”

Even after 35 years as director of the center, Tate still spends most of her days there at the senior complex. She remembers the surprise party as one of her brightest and most memorable days.

“They really got me that time because I was truly surprised,” she said. “It was such a wonderful day, and I just felt very special and honored for them to remember my birthday like that.

“So many people were there who came by to wish me a happy birthday,” she added. “My son from Houston was even there, and that really surprised me. It made me feel good to know that so many people appreciate what I tried to do for seniors.”

The beginning of Ruth Tate Senior Center was an humble one, but the call to lead the project seemed tailor-made for Tate.

“It all started with a study that was done at Memphis State, well, you know, it was Memphis State at the time. We know it’s the University of Memphis now,” said Ms. Tate. “And they said that we needed a senior center in South Memphis because of the large number of seniors who lived in the area.

“It was part of Senior Services, and we started out in the basement of Christ Missionary Baptist Church when Eddie Currie was pastor. Senior Services was giving us $200 a month for rent, but we were told they needed more money. That’s when we asked Dr. Reuben Green over at Central Baptist Church if we could start meeting there. And he said, ‘Come on, Ms. Tate.’ We stayed there until our building was finished. When it was time to move, Dr. Green said, ‘Don’t leave, Ms. Tate.’”

Her love for planning activities and facilitating special events is legendary. The center’s annual Pre-Mother’s Day Luncheon is the big fundraiser, hosting more than 500 participants.

“I asked the Lord to give me something for Mother’s Day that wasn’t sad,” she said. “My own mother died at the age of 32, leaving two small children behind. So, I understand people grieving their mother on Mother’s Day, even when they are seniors. But our luncheon is fun and uplifting. People take their vacation during that time so they can come take their mother to this event. It continues to be the big highlight of our year.”

This director emeritus still has the magic touch. She planned a Father’s Day luncheon at the center, Tuesday, June 11 at 11:30 a.m. Along with the luncheon, was a men’s health conference.

“United Healthcare is sponsoring the health component,” said Conley. “Although the emphasis will be on men, the women are not excluded. We are looking to have a wonderful time celebrating fathers at the luncheon.”

As for Ms. Tate, she plans to stick around indefinitely.

“My doctor said they made a mistake on my birth certificate because I can’t possibly be 87 years old,” she said. “But I say, we are going to keep living and enjoying our life. We’re not going to let age stop us.

“Many of our seniors live alone,” she continued. “It’s no good staying home thinking about all your aches and pains. We spend time at the center. That’s really the secret to staying young.”

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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.