Please join us for the
Eighth Annual National Black Herstory Awards Banquet
as we salute
the outstanding contributions of six very remarkable people:
Mrs.
Rita Marley - The Xernona Clayton Lifetime Achievement Award
The Reverend Dr. Shirlene Holmes - The Lucy Terry Prince Award
The Koinonia Farms - The National Black Herstory Comrade Salute Award
Ms. Katherine Dunham - The National Black Herstory Auset Award
Mykwain Gainey and Greg Jackson - The Beverly L. Hall Young Adult Award
Keynote
Speaker
Tina
McElroy Ansa
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Novelist Tina McElroy Ansa calls herself part of a writing
tradition, one of those little Southern girls who always
knew she wanted to be a writer. She grew up in Middle Georgia
in the 1950's hearing her grandfather's stories on the porch
of her family home and strangers' stories downtown in her
father's juke joint, which have inspired Mulberry, Georgia,
the mythical world of her four novels.
Tina McElroy Ansa was born in Macon, GA, the youngest of
five children. In 1971, she graduated from Spelman College.
Tina
McElroy Ansa's books includeUgly Ways, Baby of the Family
that was also on the African-America Best-seller List for
Paperback
Fiction. She and her husband, AFI (American Film Institute)
Fellow filmmaker Joneé Ansa are currently adapting
Baby of the Family for the screen in a feature film starring
Alfre
Woodard, Loretta Devine, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Cylk Cozart, Vanessa
Williams, Todd Bridges, Pam Grier, and Tonea Stewart. The
author is collaborating with her husband on the screenplay
for Baby
of the Family, which he will direct and shoot in Macon, GA.
Ms. Ansa is executive producer. Patrice Rushen is the film's
composer.
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Mistress
of Ceremony
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Mistress of Ceremonies
Blanche Richardson
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Blanche
Richardson is the Manager of Marcus Book Stores,
the oldest
Black bookstores in the United States. Marcus Books
was started by Blanche’s parents, Drs. Raye
and Julian Richardson, in 1960 and will celebrate
their 45th anniversary in 2005. In addition to her
management of Marcus Book Stores, Blanche Richardson
is a writer and free-lance editor. She is the published
editor of the 2001 release, Best Black Women’s
Erotica, to which she also contributed a story, and
which is now in its fifth edition. She has edited
the works of bestselling authors E. Lynn Harris,
Tina McElroy Ansa, and Iyanla Vanzant, among many
others. Blanche has just completed her own novel,
Wild Horses Are at My Door. Her novella, Jasmine
and Eudora will appear in the Harlem Moon summer
release, Love Is Stronger Than Pride with E. Lynn
Harris.
Special guests include: Tina McElroy Ansa, Keynote
Speaker; Blanche Richardson, Mistress of Ceremonies;
Poetry by Vertasha' and Adanna. Special musical
guests JaStar, Latonya Peterson Jerome Brown.
Black-tie or Afrocentric/Native attire. All dinner
tickets must be purchased in advance. Conference
and awards banquet registration information please
see www.theticketlounge.com or this website.
For additional information or advance banquet
ticket sales call 404.712.9674 or 404.371.4109.
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2005
National Black Herstory Award
Recipients |
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Lucy Terry Prince Award |
The
Lucy Terry Prince Award is named in honor of the
late Mrs. Lucy Terry Prince, a
former slave best known as the author of the first poem composed by an
African American woman. She was a strong, determined woman and a true
matriarch to her family. One of her numerous accomplishments were achieved
while still a slave married to a freedman. Mrs. Prince successfully wrote
and persuaded her slave master to argue a case before the Supreme Court
that prevented the theft of their land. This award is presented to those
who have fought for the rights of their tribe, land and/or human rights.
Photo by Sue Ross
The Reverend Dr. Shirlene Holmes
Atlanta, Georgia and Queens, NY
The Lucy Terry Prince Awardee
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Shirlene Holmes is an associate
professor of Communications at Georgia State
University and teaches courses in both GSU's
Communication and African American Studies Departments.
Her areas of specialty are solo drama, creative
writing, and storytelling. In addition, The Reverend
Dr. Holmes is also a minister at Hillside Truth
Chapel and in Atlanta, GA. Dr. Holmes is a strong
and outspoken advocate for human rights regardless
for all people.
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| The
National Black Herstory Auset Award |
The
National Black Herstory Auset Award is named in honor
of the Black Goddess Auset (also known as Isis).
This award is given to a person who has demonstrated
outstanding yet humane leadership qualities.
Photo
by Nic Paget Clarke
Miss Katherine Dunham
St. Louis, MO
The National Black Herstory Auset Award
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There
have been many talented and gifted Black women
dancers, choreographers or anthropologist but few
that instantly conjure up visions of a goddess
dancing in the air. It would be impossible to host
a celebration that includes the telling of Herstory
via dance without a salute to our most regal goddess,
Ms. Dunham. For her life long devotion to teaching
the diverse African artistic expressions through
the study of dance and culture we celebrate the
life of Katherine Dunham.
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Xernona Clayton Lifetime Achievement Award |
This
award is named in honor of Xernona Clayton, a
true American pioneer
in the field of television
broadcasting and a life long civil rights activist.
The award is given
to those
who have dedicated their lives toward the
betterment
of human rights.
Mrs. Rita Marley
Jamaica and Ghana
The Xernona Clayton Lifetime Achievement Award
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Mrs. Rita Marley
has demonstrated her love for family and community
time after
time. We celebrate her
examples of unselfish motherhood --- a keeper of
the flame. In addition,
we salute her
talents as a singer, author, teacher and leader of
the Bob Marley Foundation.
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| The
National Black Herstory Comrade Salute |
The
National Black Herstory Comrade Salute. This award
is given in appreciation of those who stood
up against bigotry and helped to enhance the lives
of Black women and their families, often placing
their lives at risk.
The Koinonia Farms Americus, Georgia
The National Black Herstory Comrade Salute Award |
The Koinonia Farms, now known as
Koinonia Partners, Inc. is a Christian organization
that has practiced what it preached since
1945 in south Georgia. Christians truly com-mitted
to nonviolence and peaceful solutions to
society's problems, reconciliation among
all people, Christian discipleship, and the
empowerment of the poor, the neglected and
the oppressed. The racially integrated members
of Koinonia came together, united in their
belief in God, to participate in community
life, outreach ministries, and business enterprises.
The National Black Herstory Task Force, Inc.
honors the Koinonia Farms for its courageous
history of promotion equality, diversity
and battling oppression.
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Dr. Beverly L. Hall Young Adult Award |
The
Dr. Beverly L. Hall Young Adult Award is named
in honor of Beverly L. Hall,
Superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools and a NBTHF member since 1998.
This award
is presented to a young person who has demonstrated above average courage,
wisdom
and/or academic skills.
(photos
pending)
Mr. Mykwain Gainey and Mr. Greg Jackson
Morehouse College Scholars and Award Winning Filmmakers
The Dr. Beverly L. Hall Young Adult Award
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Mykwain
A. Gainey is a senior English major with
a minor in Leadership Studies from
the Bronx, New York. At Morehouse College, Mykwain is an Oprah Winfrey
scholar,
Clarence Avant scholar, a member of the Golden Key International Honor
Society,
Sigma Tau Delta International English Honour Society and Omicron Delta
Kappa
National Leadership Honor Society. Upon graduation, he plans to pursue
a Master of
Fine Arts degree from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and pursue a career
in dramatic
and documentary filmmaking. In 2004, he received the 6th place award
in the Delta
Airlines Campus Moviefest for his short film "Bittersweet Bones." In
addition, Mykwain
penned a short theatrical play entitled "Be Careful What You Wish
For," which was
performed at the Morehouse College Happy Hour Variety Show. He has written
several shorts including "The Architect," "When Worlds
Collide" and "Double of
Nothing." Aside from screenwriting, he has directed documentaries
on local visionaries
Rose Anne Cooper, Herman Russell and Henry "Hank" Aaron. The
National Black
Herstory Task Force selects Mykwain because of his dedication to excellence
and his
devotion to documenting the truth.
Gregory
David Jackson Jr. is a senior Marketing major
with a minor in Leadership Studies
from Los Angeles, California. At Morehouse, Gregory is an Oprah Winfrey
scholar, president
of the Martin Luther King International Chapel Assistants organization
and a member of
Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society. Upon graduation,
Gregory plans
to graduate law and divinity schools. Afterwards, Gregory desire to pursue
a career in
screenwriting. He hopes to one day start a filmmaking studio for aspiring
minority filmmakers.
In 2004, Gregory received the 6th place award in the Delta Airlines Campus
Moviefest for his
short film "Bittersweet Bones." Gregory is currently writing
and producing a yet to be
titled short film.
Gifted,
focused and wise beyond their years, the
National Black Herstory Task Force,
salute the exceptional talents of Mykwain Gainey and Gregory Jackson
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