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March 13, 2010 www.thepopulacenow.com

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Photo Courtesy of Mr. Marty BlakePhoto Courtesy of Mr. Marty BlakePhoto Courtesy of Mr. Marty BlakePhoto Courtesy of Mr. Marty Blake

VOL. 2

A profile of the life of Mrs. Geraldine JonesA profile of the life of Mrs. Geraldine JonesA profile of the life of Mrs. Geraldine JonesA profile of the life of Mrs. Geraldine Jones

• Health Care Reform Update pg. 1Health Care Reform Update pg. 1Health Care Reform Update pg. 1Health Care Reform Update pg. 1

• A Message From Our Publisher pg. 1A Message From Our Publisher pg. 1A Message From Our Publisher pg. 1A Message From Our Publisher pg. 1

• First Facts About Women pg. 3First Facts About Women pg. 3First Facts About Women pg. 3First Facts About Women pg. 3

• Career Pioneer: Mrs. Catherine Taylor Banks pg. 4Career Pioneer: Mrs. Catherine Taylor Banks pg. 4Career Pioneer: Mrs. Catherine Taylor Banks pg. 4Career Pioneer: Mrs. Catherine Taylor Banks pg. 4

• 41st NAACP Image Awards pg.441st NAACP Image Awards pg.441st NAACP Image Awards pg.441st NAACP Image Awards pg.4

• Why We Are Celebrating Women pg.5 & 7Why We Are Celebrating Women pg.5 & 7Why We Are Celebrating Women pg.5 & 7Why We Are Celebrating Women pg.5 & 7

• The Preacher's Corner pg. 5 & 7The Preacher's Corner pg. 5 & 7The Preacher's Corner pg. 5 & 7The Preacher's Corner pg. 5 & 7

• Mother's Day pg. 4Mother's Day pg. 4Mother's Day pg. 4Mother's Day pg. 4

Patrick A. SellersPatrick A. SellersPatrick A. SellersPatrick A. Sellers

Publisher

Bobbie CollinsBobbie CollinsBobbie CollinsBobbie Collins

Editor-In-Chief

Lee DixonLee DixonLee DixonLee Dixon

Webmaster

By Buffy GriffinBuffy GriffinBuffy GriffinBuffy Griffin, A North Carolina Correspondent , A North Carolina Correspondent , A North Carolina Correspondent , A North Carolina Correspondent

The Populace Now Page 1

who do not qualify due to pre-existing health issues

• Capping out-of-pocket ex-penses

There has been quiet a buzz that Con-gress could vote on this bill as early as March 18/2010. Because this is such an important matter, I urge you to find out the facts for yourselves before call-ing your elected officials and voicing to them if you are for or against the bill. The media is a good resource but, keep in mind they tend to report what is most controversial, which leaves out details needed to make an intelligent decision on something this important that will greatly affect the lives of so many in-cluding our own. Likewise, don't just take the word (opinion) of friends and family who may only have limited knowl-

I was afforded the privilege of attending an Organizing for America event this week, invited by Mary Hardval, our com-munity organizer. The main topic was that of Health Care Reform. In atten-dance was Lindsey Siler NC State Direc-tor for Organizing for America also re-ferred to as OFA and Paul Choi Western Carolina Regional Director for OFA. Both of whom shared a wealth of information pertaining to the facts regarding the proposed health care reform bill. Both Lindsey and Paul did a wonderful job explaining and answering our questions. Listed below are three of the many facts shared within the meeting.

• Providing affordable health care for those who can not af-ford

• Providing health care to those

edge regarding the Health Care Reform Bill. An excellent tool to utilize for current a n d c o r r e c t i n f o rma t i o n i s www.whitehouse.gov and for a direct link to view President Obama's summa-r ized proposal key in http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/summary-presidents-proposal.pdf Lastly, if you can't get through to your elected official by phone due to high call volumes, you can use other meth-ods like writing and faxing. Ensure that you are routing your call, letters and faxes to the correct persons and loca-tions so that they are received promptly.

Dear Reader, As you probably already noticed…. we have changed, and it is a change for the better. Our new template represents our ongoing commitment to excellence and our dedication to you. When The 3rd Ward Communicator was first introduced in 2008, we knew that we were on to something good, but we knew that we had to be patient and allow the vision to unfold. What you see now The Populace Now is a vision material-ized, with greater things yet to come. Throughout the years, we have deliv-ered hard-hitting articles that provoked thought, enlightened minds, and chal-lenged the status quo. During our transi-tion we have experienced many ups and

downs. But we are still here and are continuing to move forward. Though chal-lenges remain (that’s just the nature of business), we look forward to facing those challenges head-on and overcom-ing each one. With a consistently growing readership base spurred by superb guidance, we here at The Populace Now are more con-fident than ever. Confidence does not constitute arrogance; we remain humble to our mission, to our partners and even more importantly to you our readers. Every community that we service has a special meaning to each of us, and we reiterate those feelings through our is-sues, articles, and mannerisms. We are quickly becoming an active part of every community that we serve and we take

pride in that. We are planning more new and excit-ing things for The Populace Now and that means more new and exciting things for you. Within the next year, our exposure will be even more evident to the world, introducing new multi-media extensions to our publica-tion that will remain user-friendly. We are excited about the future and look forward to sharing our success with each and every one of you.

Sincerely yours,

Patrick A. Sellers Patrick A. Sellers Patrick A. Sellers Patrick A. Sellers P.S. Momma (Hazel Sellers) Happy

Mother’s Day! I Love you!

By Patrick A. SellersPatrick A. SellersPatrick A. SellersPatrick A. Sellers, An Illinois Correspondent, An Illinois Correspondent, An Illinois Correspondent, An Illinois Correspondent

A Message from Our PublisherA Message from Our PublisherA Message from Our PublisherA Message from Our Publisher

Health Care Reform Update

Page 2

As I began to talk to Mrs. Jones, the in-terview became a monologue. And I no longer heard an elderly lady speaking

but wisdomwisdomwisdomwisdom and experience. experience. experience. experience.

So this is a So this is a So this is a So this is a Profile of The Other Coal Miner's Daughter: Mrs. Geraldine Jones.

Notice the pearls of wisdom in quotes.

Parents:Parents:Parents:Parents: William Marion Fly (Tennessee)

Sarah Francis Smith (Kentucky)

Born:Born:Born:Born: Danville, IL

Married:Married:Married:Married: Isaac Jones, Jr. in 1945

Children:Children:Children:Children: One daughter Sarah Odessa

Jones

Came to Freeport: Came to Freeport: Came to Freeport: Came to Freeport: in 1942 to work at

Savanna Ordinance

Activities: Activities: Activities: Activities: Y.M.C.A.; Girl Scout Leader; member, St. Paul M.B.C. (youth depart-ment) Baptist Training Union; missionary society; Sunday School teacher; Library

Board (17 years); mother and mentor.

Educational AccomplishmentsEducational AccomplishmentsEducational AccomplishmentsEducational Accomplishments:

• The first of all of her sib-lings to graduate from high

school

• The first black woman to graduate from Highland Com-munity College, 1966

• Graduated from HCC on the exact same day that her daughter graduated from

Freeport Senior High School

“I loved school and I was not going to miss

it. I walked a mile and a quarter to school.”

"While my daughter was in school, I put getting my Bachelor's Degree on hold to make sure that my daughter had every

opportunity to go to college.”

"I came to believe that we should have the best educators in our schools, to produce the best students to send out into the

world, to make it a better place."

Employment Accomplishment: Worked for Employment Accomplishment: Worked for Employment Accomplishment: Worked for Employment Accomplishment: Worked for Amity Society for 30 years (a grantAmity Society for 30 years (a grantAmity Society for 30 years (a grantAmity Society for 30 years (a grant----supported day care/learning center,supported day care/learning center,supported day care/learning center,supported day care/learning center, for for for for

working parents)working parents)working parents)working parents)

“My Father was not an educated man as far as schooling. He was a coal miner and my mother was a country school teacher. My grandmother had to sell eggs in order for my mother to get her certifi-

cates to teach school.”

"We were poor people. As a coal miner’s daughter I was one of the good Lord's creatures and He took care of me. I came here by myself. I had to earn money, and it was a different climate not only for the body but also for the mind. I know that Jesus loved me and as I said before, He took care of me. So many times in life I could have cried. But I had to get up. The sun was shining or the moon and stars were glowing. So what did I have to cry

about?"

"If you ask the Lord, He will go with you. You will never fail. I have to give credit to my God for all that he has

done for me."

“I learned to respect a lot of things about other people just by being

around them”.

"It’s a beautiful world because it's God's world and He is not going to let

go, God is still in charge!"

“We are gonna have some better times. The world is not full of bad peo-ple. Look at our President. He had some hard times but he made it. And

you can too.”

A Collaborative Article By Bobbie Collins Bobbie Collins Bobbie Collins Bobbie Collins and

Patrick Sellers Patrick Sellers Patrick Sellers Patrick Sellers both Illinois Correspondents both Illinois Correspondents both Illinois Correspondents both Illinois Correspondents

The Populace Now

Field School students excavate a trench at New Philadelphia,

Illinois.

Photo: DDDDoooouuuugggg BBBBrrrraaaazzzziiiillll

Showing Showing Showing Showing 3/15, 9:003/15, 9:003/15, 9:003/15, 9:00----10:00 PM10:00 PM10:00 PM10:00 PM

The team digs into the lives of freed slaves at the site of an Illinois The team digs into the lives of freed slaves at the site of an Illinois The team digs into the lives of freed slaves at the site of an Illinois The team digs into the lives of freed slaves at the site of an Illinois

town (New Philadelphia, IL) founded by a freed slave.town (New Philadelphia, IL) founded by a freed slave.town (New Philadelphia, IL) founded by a freed slave.town (New Philadelphia, IL) founded by a freed slave.

In the months since Time Team America worked at the New Philadelphia site, the big news

for the New Philadelphia Project was the site's designation as a National Historic Landmark.

This designation is reserved for the country's most historically significant sites and is a testa-

ment to the site's potential for ongoing research.

The Other Coal Miner’s Daughter

First Facts About Women By Bobbie Collins, An Illinois CorrespondentBobbie Collins, An Illinois CorrespondentBobbie Collins, An Illinois CorrespondentBobbie Collins, An Illinois Correspondent

The Populace Now Page 3

1809 1809 1809 1809 ---- Mary Kies Mary Kies Mary Kies Mary Kies, first to receive a patent, for a method of weaving straw with silk

1849 1849 1849 1849 ---- Elizabeth Blackwell Elizabeth Blackwell Elizabeth Blackwell Elizabeth Blackwell, first in U.S. with medical degree, earned from Medical Institution of Geneva, N.Y.

1853 1853 1853 1853 ---- Antoinette Blackwell Antoinette Blackwell Antoinette Blackwell Antoinette Blackwell, firsrt American ordained minister in a recognized denomination (Congregational)

1864 1864 1864 1864 ---- Rebecca Lee Crumpler Rebecca Lee Crumpler Rebecca Lee Crumpler Rebecca Lee Crumpler, first black woman to receive M.D. Degree, graduating from the New England Female Medical

College

1885 1885 1885 1885 ---- Sarah Goode Sarah Goode Sarah Goode Sarah Goode, first to receive a patent for a bed that rolled up into a cabinet & intended for use in apartments

1926 1926 1926 1926 ---- Gertrude Ederle Gertrude Ederle Gertrude Ederle Gertrude Ederle, first to swim across the English Channel

1932 1932 1932 1932 ---- Amelia Earhart Amelia Earhart Amelia Earhart Amelia Earhart, first to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean

1933 1933 1933 1933 ---- Francis Perkins Francis Perkins Francis Perkins Francis Perkins, first woman member of a Presidential cabinet, appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt, as Secretary of La-

bor

1967 1967 1967 1967 ---- Althea Gibson Althea Gibson Althea Gibson Althea Gibson, the first black tennis player to win a singles title at Wimbledon

1972 1972 1972 1972 ---- Sally Jean Priesand Sally Jean Priesand Sally Jean Priesand Sally Jean Priesand was ordained the first woman rabbi in the U.S.

*1974 - Sharon Taylor (Williams), first black caseworker for the St'e of IL Dept. of Public Aid, Freeport; retired as Public Aid Sharon Taylor (Williams), first black caseworker for the St'e of IL Dept. of Public Aid, Freeport; retired as Public Aid Sharon Taylor (Williams), first black caseworker for the St'e of IL Dept. of Public Aid, Freeport; retired as Public Aid Sharon Taylor (Williams), first black caseworker for the St'e of IL Dept. of Public Aid, Freeport; retired as Public Aid

Lead CaseworkerLead CaseworkerLead CaseworkerLead Caseworker

1981 1981 1981 1981 ---- Sandra Day O'Connor Sandra Day O'Connor Sandra Day O'Connor Sandra Day O'Connor (appointed by President Regan), the first female Justice of the Supreme Court

1983 1983 1983 1983 ---- Dr. Sally K. Ride Dr. Sally K. Ride Dr. Sally K. Ride Dr. Sally K. Ride, first American woman to be sent into space

1985 1985 1985 1985 ---- Wilma Mankiller Wilma Mankiller Wilma Mankiller Wilma Mankiller, first woman Chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma

1990 1990 1990 1990 ---- Dr. Antonia Novello Dr. Antonia Novello Dr. Antonia Novello Dr. Antonia Novello, first Hispanic U.S. Surgeon General

1991 1991 1991 1991 ---- Sharon Pratt Dixon Sharon Pratt Dixon Sharon Pratt Dixon Sharon Pratt Dixon, first black woman to serve as mayor of a major U.S. city (Washington, D.C.)

1992 1992 1992 1992 ---- Carol Mosely Carol Mosely Carol Mosely Carol Mosely----Braun Braun Braun Braun of IL, first U.S. senator

1992 1992 1992 1992 ---- Dr.Mae Jemison Dr.Mae Jemison Dr.Mae Jemison Dr.Mae Jemison, first black female astronaut

1993 1993 1993 1993 ---- Janet Reno Janet Reno Janet Reno Janet Reno, first woman U.S. Attorney General

1997 1997 1997 1997 ---- Madeline Albright Madeline Albright Madeline Albright Madeline Albright, first U.S. Secretary of State and highest ranking woman in U.S. government

2000 2000 2000 2000 ---- Hillary Rodham Clinton Hillary Rodham Clinton Hillary Rodham Clinton Hillary Rodham Clinton became the first First Lady elected to national office

* A local * A local * A local * A local First Fact First Fact First Fact First Fact womanwomanwomanwoman

Did You KnowDid You KnowDid You KnowDid You Know

Page 4

Growing up in Freeport, IL meant see-ing a small number of upwardly mobile blacks. One such person, looked up to by this writer (20 years her junior) was Mrs. Catherine Banks. At the time, she was Catherine Taylor. The time was 1958. And Catherine's future husband (Roosevelt) was hired for Taylor Park Elementary school as its first black first black first black first black male teachermale teachermale teachermale teacher the same year Catherine was hired by the IL Dept. of Public Aid. Her 38-year career climb inside the organization was meteoric. Her first job was as secretary in the Springfield of-fice. Soon she became a case aid trainee, then a caseworker, then a caseworker supervisor. But there was more in store for Miss Taylor. In 1981,

she became the first black female to first black female to first black female to first black female to serve as Employee Administratorserve as Employee Administratorserve as Employee Administratorserve as Employee Administrator, both for Stephenson County and for awhile, Ogle County (between 1991 and 1995),

with simultaneous duties.

During the month of March, when we are celebrating the accomplishments of women, I publicly acknowledge a long-time admiration for Mrs. Catherine Banks. The way she carried herself in a professional way at all times and the outward as well as inward beauty she daily displays, makes her a role model for generations of females to look up to. I am certainly one that she inspired and challenged to reach for excellence in

all things.

During the month of March, when we are celebrating the accomplish-ments of women, I publicly acknowl-edge a long-time admiration for Mrs. Catherine Banks. The way she car-ried herself in a professional way at all times and the outward as well as inward beauty she daily displays, makes her a role model for genera-tions of females to look up to. I am certainly one that she inspired and challenged to reach for excellence in

all things.

Editor-In-Chief, Bobbie J. Collins

By Bobbie Collins,Bobbie Collins,Bobbie Collins,Bobbie Collins, AnAnAnAn Illinois Correspondent Illinois Correspondent Illinois Correspondent Illinois Correspondent

The Populace Now

Career Pioneer Catherine Taylor Banks

Friday, Feb 26th (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT on FOX networks) will be the 41st annual celebration of the NAACP Image Awards. The Image Awards is the nation's premier event celebrating the outstanding achievements and performances of peo-ple of color in the arts. The NAACP Image Awards honors and salutes, projects and individuals that promote diversity in the arts (television, recording, literature and motion pictures) as well as acknowledging those individu-als and/or groups involved in the fight for social justice. This year Tyler Perry will receive the NAACP's coveted Chairman's Award. The Chairman's Award, chosen by NAACP

Board Chairman Julian Bond, is bestowed in recognition of special achievement and distinguished public service. Past honorees include President Barack Obama and for-mer Vice President Al Gore, Aretha Frank-lin, Bono, Danny Glover, and Janet Jackson. The NAACP received over 1,200 nomina-tion entries. From those entries, a special committee of 300 industry professionals and NAACP leaders from across the country selected five nominees in each of 53 cate-gories. The final selections are voted on by NAACP members, and winners will be an-nounced during the live airing of the 41st NAACP Image Awards. The ABC network led with a total of 23 nominations, followed by NBC with 13, CBS

with 12, and FOX, Lifetime and TNT with 9 each. "Grey's Anatomy" received 7 nominations, followed by "Everybody Hates Chris" and "Tyler Perry's House of Payne" both receiving 4 nomina-tions, followed by "Ugly Betty" with 3. In the Recording Category, Columbia Records leads with 7 nominations, followed by Roc Nation and Def Jam both with 5 nominations. J Records/MBK Enter-tainment received 4, and Interscope Records with 3. Jay-Z and Maxwell both received 5 nominations, followed by Alicia Keys with 3 and Mary J. Blige, Whitney Houston, and Rihanna with 2 each.

From Left: (Actor) Will Smith, (R&B Singer) Beyonce’ Knowles, (R&B

Singer) Jennifer Hudson and (Former Vice President) Al Gore

41st NAACP Image Awards

By Jim NeusomJim NeusomJim NeusomJim Neusom, A California Correspondent, A California Correspondent, A California Correspondent, A California Correspondent

wwwwwwwwwwww....tttthhhheeeeppppooooppppuuuullllaaaacccceeeennnnoooowwww....ccccoooommmm

By Bobbie CollinsBobbie CollinsBobbie CollinsBobbie Collins An Illinois Correspondent An Illinois Correspondent An Illinois Correspondent An Illinois Correspondent

The Populace Now Page 5

Why We Are Celebrating Women

you will see various tributes to great women. Certainly my own mother, 73 year old Luvinia Collins is the greatest woman I know. Raised three children as wife of a preacher man, then later a pastor. Made great sacrifices, some known, some never told. Is now partially disabled but her spirit is strong. Her plan: determined to continue moving forward. You were the best role model

for me, mother!

In this issue on influential women, I mention Katie Vanraden who died Octo-ber 2008 at 78 years of age, a woman who encouraged the use of my singing and speaking talents. I miss her terribly.

In this our 25th or Silver Issue of The Populace Now, we are Celebrating some-thing great! The 30th Anniversary of Women's History Month. Thirty years ago, this worthwhile recognition was approved under President Jimmy Carter's administration. Because women have always been a part of human his-tory, we Celebrate! Because without women, there would be no sons, broth-ers, fathers, husbands, it could be said that women are half of human history. The childbearing part, the nurturing part. It has been aptly said, "The hand that

rocks the cradle rules the world."

To this end, throughout our 25th issue,

And I miss Dr. "Mom" Ruth Smith, Presi-dent of Highland Community College. Another mentor who died in a head-on car accident on the highway in '02, who

truly modeled what a Servant Leader is.

We're proud of the interview by Pub-lisher, Patrick Sellers of Mrs. Geraldine Jones, The Other Coal Miner's Daugh-

ter.

There are additional details concern-ing career pioneer Mrs. Catherine

(Roosevelt) Banks.

(Continued on pg. 7)(Continued on pg. 7)(Continued on pg. 7)(Continued on pg. 7)

In recent years, GPS

(global positioning system) has gone

from something only found in six figure-

type neighborhoods for expensive vehi-

cles, to something everyone can afford.

And though the portable GPS my wife

and I have in our vehicle is not high end,

it's quality is good enough to get the job

done. I can program it to avoid tolls and

highways. And I learned the other day

that I can even program it for ferry rides,

to make coastal gulf trips, which comes

in handy since we recently made Florida

our home.

Though GPS can accurately guide us

when we don't quite know where we're

going, I have discovered it's flaw. No

matter how expensive the device, from

time to time it has a hard time locking in

the satellite signal. And this is significant

because a driver can easily become lost-

-if impatient. Let me explain. I've no-

ticed if I wait a few minutes, by just sit-

ting still in the driveway or the parking

lot, the signal is soon found and the de-

vice is ready to give me my directions.

But if I'm impatient and move prema-

turely, the device can't easily lock that

signal in. So for mile after mile, the dis-

play will read, "Searching For A Sig-

nal...Please Wait."

This dilemma of course steered my

thinking toward a simple but perhaps

profound question: How often do we

who are spiritual, stand still long enough

to be guided by the God Positioning Sys-

tem (the Holy GPS)? That type of GPS

will steer us with the greatest of ease in

the direction the Lord will have us go.

But because we are constantly moving,

we make ourselves busy and we call it

"the Father's business." Another bake

sale, car wash, reaching the youth of the

ghetto or the downtown drug dealers.

Outreach here, reaching out there, this

program, that concert. These are all no-

ble things, but our efforts will amount to

NOTHING if we don't first stand still and

wait for our signal. The God Positioning

kind.

We cover a lot of ground under our own

power. We are somewhere in the vicinity

of the greatness that God has called us

into. But until that signal locks in, we

won't know exactly where to turn.

(Continued on pg. 7)(Continued on pg. 7)(Continued on pg. 7)(Continued on pg. 7)

By Pastor J.J. Fletcher Jr. A Florida CorrespondentBy Pastor J.J. Fletcher Jr. A Florida CorrespondentBy Pastor J.J. Fletcher Jr. A Florida CorrespondentBy Pastor J.J. Fletcher Jr. A Florida Correspondent

Searching For a Signal

Page 6 The Populace Now

wwwwwwwwwwww....tttthhhheeeeppppooooppppuuuullllaaaacccceeeennnnoooowwww....ccccoooommmm

Months before Mother's Day, I do not

only remember my

mother who made a

profound impact on me.

But I have two

other great women who

helped shape me. One

is Mamie Till Mobley,

the mother of Emmett

Louis Till, 14 years

old (murdered in Missis-

sippi, in August of

1955). Mrs. Mobley was a member of

the church my family attended and I

was one of several children that trav-

eled with her to different churches. We

recited the speeches of many great civil

rights leaders. We practiced at her

home, right off of 87th and State Street

in Chicago, IL. Let me tell you a little

more about Mrs. Mobley.

In September 1956, she entered Chi-

cago Teachers College. She graduated

cum laude in three and a half years

and finished fifth in her class. Assigned

to Carter Elementary School in 1960,

she saw the need to continue her edu-

cation, earning a Master's Degree in

Administration and Supervision at

Loyola University. She

served as an elemen-

tary school teacher

from 1960-1983. And

she was one of seven

founding members of

Evangelistic Crusaders

Church Of God In

Christ in May of 1973.

Mother Mobley trav-

eled and spoke across the country,

recalling the struggle for civil rights and

urging her listeners to "be the best they

can be." She founded the "Emmett Till

Players," a rotating group of her ele-

mentary school children who delivered

the speeches and sermons of Dr. Mar-

tin Luther King, Jr. The Emmett Till Play-

ers often accompanied

her during her extensive

travels. She was very

stern but loving as we

practiced. I didn't under-

stand her toughness

then. But now that I'm an

adult, with children of my

own, I am happy that my

mother allowed me to be

active in this and other

ways as I grew up. Mother Mobley passed

on January 6, 2003.

Another lady of my life was

Sheyann Webb-Christburg.

Her life story is seen in the

movie, "Selma, Lord,

Selma." Mrs. Christburg

cur rent ly serves as

a Student Counselor at Ala-

bama Sta te Un iver -

sity. While I studied there, I

ran for SGA president and

lost by only five votes. Mrs.

Christburg was my listening

ear and consoled me when it was ru-

mored that the contest ballots were

counted unfairly. She put me at ease dur-

ing a time when I felt

like former Senator Hillary

Rodham Clinton must have

felt when losing to then

Senator Barack Obama, in

our last U.S. Presidential

race.

Last but not least, I intro-

duce my own mother,

Thelma Vann, as the

woman who influenced me most. She

exposed me to great things through other

people. She made very good decisions

regarding the future. I am blessed to still

have her and I still visit her at a nursing

home in the south suburbs of Chicago.

I'm often reminded of the story she told

about the Ku Klux Klan chasing her

and my grandmother, when she was

young, as they made their way home

from a Wednesday night Bible study.

She recalls a truck that passed them

on the road. When the driver turned

off the headlights and turned the

truck around, my grandmother told

her daughter to run into the cornfield

and lay down. They split up and lay

down in separate places. When the

men got out of the truck, they walked

less than two

feet away

from where

my mother lay.

When the

truck finally

l e f t , m y

mother and

grandmother

continued to

lay still until

grandmother

felt it was safe

to come out of

hiding.

Long after Black History Month

comes and goes each year, I think of

the courage and spirit of the three

women who enhanced my life.

Months before Mother's Day arrives, I

applaud them all because their deter-

mined spirit resides in me. Spirituality

should be a tool used to help others

t h r o u g h f u t u r e s t r u g g l e s ,

just as these three women have

helped me and shown me a more

excellent way.

Thank you, my mothers!

By William Vann, A Michigan Correspondent, William Vann, A Michigan Correspondent, William Vann, A Michigan Correspondent, William Vann, A Michigan Correspondent,

Mother’s Day

Mrs. Thelma VannMrs. Thelma VannMrs. Thelma VannMrs. Thelma Vann

Mrs. Mamie Till MobleyMrs. Mamie Till MobleyMrs. Mamie Till MobleyMrs. Mamie Till Mobley

Sheyann WebbSheyann WebbSheyann WebbSheyann Webb----ChristburgChristburgChristburgChristburg

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These are details we were unable to include for lack of space and time in the 24th Issue of The Populace Now. The only thing we regret is not procurring a photo of this beautiful woman, before dead-

line.

And please note the First First First First FactsFactsFactsFacts About WomenAbout WomenAbout WomenAbout Women. This is a partial, chronological list of what women that were first, contributed to their field

of interest.

We'd love it if you'd share a

few lines about a woman in your life that had a profound affect on your life. Please go t o www.thepopulacenow.com t

o leave your comments.

Why We Are Celebrating Women

Continued from pg. 5

We won't know exactly when to

move forward. And we most cer-

tainly won't know when to STOP!

Psalm 46:10 says to BE STILL

(that is to say, please wait) and

KNOW that I AM GOD (G). In I

Thessalonians 5:17 it says,

PRAY without ceasing, PRAY and

seek the direction of the Lord.

PRAY(P). As I begin to wrap up,

the book of James 1:19 says

that we should be quick to listen;

Matthew 11:15 says, he who

has ears let him hear; and I

Samuel 3:10 says speak, I am

your servant--ready to listen. All

these verses lead us to conclude

that the S in GPS means

"Shhhh," (S) turn down all the

noise around you and listen for

instructions from God.

Man's doctrine will fail you.

Church leaders can mislead you,

television evangelists can rob

you. But when we use God's Po-

sitioning System, there is NO

WAY we can be lost.

Searching For A Signal Continued from pg. 5