Highlighting our inner-city experience
Staff writer
Well it's that time again for me to write my column — the fifth Thursday of the month.
Since last month, I've been thinking about what I should write.
I already know I will write something about our trip to do inner-city mission work at Needle's Eye Christian Counseling Center in Youngstown, Ohio. This will be our 16th year volunteering to help with the center's camp.
But, I wanted to lead with something unrelated to that adventure and privilege.
I thought I would comment on an article I read by columnist Leonard Pitts in the July 12 issue of the Wichita Eagle. Pitts addressed a few controversial issues about comments made by TV entertainer and comedian Bill Cosby.
Cosby recently addressed an audience and made, as many feel, negative comments about the African American youth in our cities.
I wanted to equate Pitts' feelings about Cosby's comments to that of living in a "Christian, religious, and small-town community."
But, it would take more than the space allotted for a column and also taking in consideration the right timing. So, I decided to leave that one alone for now.
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We again will be leaving for Ohio as I start this column. Because our family has changed when it comes to the flexibility of our schedules, this will be the first time in some years that all of us will be able to go together as a family.
We are traveling with much anticipation because this may be the last time for the camp. (It was decided to have the camp again in 2005).
My husband's mother, Irma Davis, director of the Needle's Eye, has decided to resign as director of the center effective December 2004. She plans to remain with the ministry as a consultant.
She has been battling severe health problems for the past year and a half. She has congestive heart disease, as well as an aneurysm on the aorta of her heart, neuropathy, and now asthma.
I share this with you, the readers, because many of you have asked me how my mother-in-law is doing and when will I write about our trip to Ohio.
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We arrived Monday morning in Youngstown. We helped with several things at my sister-in-law, Marilyn Lane's home. While Ma Davis is recuperating from her illness, Marilyn has served as her caretaker. I'd like to report that Ma Davis is getting stronger each day.
I am now writing the rest of my column from Youngstown. My parents have a computer with Internet and a fax machine, so I will be able to send my column to Hillsboro via email and fax.
My mom was at her family reunion in Virginia while we were at camp.
The Needle's Eye African American cultural weekend was July 23-26. We arrived Thursday at the campsite in Kinsman, Ohio, which is a 45-minute drive from Youngstown.
As usual, the experience was awesome and the programs were very informative.
A group of young black men from the Urban Minority Alcohol and Drug Outreach Program in Cleveland, Ohio, performed a program for us at camp.
The group, part of UMADOP's Aiming High program called Distinctive Gentlemen of the Spoken Word, performed poetry excerpts from poets such as Langston Hughes along with original poetry from members of the group and their director Honey Bell-Bey.
After the comment from Bill Cosby, it was refreshing to see and hear that some of the young people in our race are doing great things and excelling.
Later that same day, we had a slide presentation from a woman who had served as the public relations director at Harlem Hospital in New York City, N.Y. She showed pictures of her trips to several countries in Africa. She took the trips to find out more about her African heritage.
Her presentation was enlightening and she challenged us to learn more about our heritage.
Ron's brother, Rev. Robert Davis from Baltimore, Md., gave the message that evening.
His topic was "Don't let public opinion dictate who you are." It was a powerful message that not only challenged the young people, but the adults as well.
For the past 10 years we have had a gong show, where the young people had the opportunity to display their talents. We witnessed a lot of talent in this group — from singing, rap, and miming to poetry and stomping.
We ended the weekend with a sermon preached by Ron's brother at the "church in the pines." Most of us look forward to having our church service there.
Our family again, as well as others there, enjoyed ourselves and were blessed. There was so much we learned about ourselves, God's will, and what we need to do to grow in Him
