2024 COS NAACP Juneteenth Prayer Breakfast Journal

City of Co[orado Springs, Co[oracto

Proclamation

Juneteenth June 19, 2024

WHEREAS, June 19th is declared as Juneteenth Freedom Day, a nationally recognized day which celebrates the rich culture, legacy and heritage of Black and African American people; and

WHEREAS, on Juneteenth, we commemorate that day and honor the tireless work of abolitionists who made it their mission to deliver the promise of America for all Americans; and

WHEREAS, we celebrate the resilience of the African American Community and the progress we have made together from the abolition of slavery to the Civil Rights movement and beyond we continue the tireless efforts to overcome past injustices; and

WHEREAS, we honor the generations of activists to include Ms. Opal Lee affectionally known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth” who was recently awarded the Presidential Medal of Honor for her dedication to ensuring that Juneteenth be recognized as a federal holiday. Ms. Lee at the age of 89 embarked on a 1,400 mite walk from Ft. Worth, Texas to Washington DC to raise awareness and educate on the importance of the Juneteenth holiday. Ms. Lee and others have advanced the need for our Nation to recognize Juneteenth; and

WHEREAS, we are commifted to the American promise. A promise of freedom, liberty and justice; and our ongoing work to realize that promise for all.

NOW, THEREFORE, The Mayor and City Council of Colorado Springs, do hereby recognize Juneteenth and call upon our community to reaffirm their commitment to eradicating hate, and racism, and continuing the work of hope in our great nation

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, we have hereunto set our hand and caused the Great Seal of the City of Colorado Springs to be affixed this thirteenth day of June 23.

Yemi Mobolade, Mayor City of

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Randy Helr7resident Colorado SrIngs City Council

(Please stand)

� National Anthem

� Lift Every Voice

Program of Events

Vote - Move Mountains!

Lead by the Colorado Springs Chapter, Gospel Music Workshop of America

Blessing of the food - Rabbi -Iah Pillsbury, Center for Tolerance

Welcome- Colorado Springs Branch NAACP President Angela Stevens

Welcome- Mayor Yemi Mobolade

Joint Juneteenth Proclamation read by Nancy Henjum, Colorado Springs City Council

Occasion- Ms. Shirley Martinez, Director Multicultural Outreach & Accessibility

�Musical Selection- Colorado Springs Chapter Gospel Music Workshop of America

President Evangelist Dr. PM Wynn-Grove

Minister of Music Nathaniel Black

Prayer for the Mayor, City Council, and Government by Minister Michelle Legette, St. John’s Baptist Church

Introduction of Keynote Speaker by Ms. June Waller, COS NAACP Branch Executive Committee

Keynote Speaker Dr. George Houston, Center of Creative Leadership

Prayer for family by Reverend Ron Phares, All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church

Prayer for our nation by Khateeb Ahmed Salih, Islamic Society of Colorado Springs

Closing Remarks by COS Branch NAACP 1st Vice President Walt Johnson **Announcements**

Benediction by Pastor Paul Nelson, The Living Word Bible Church

Keynote Speaker

Experience

George Houston

University of Denver, Adjunct Faculty

Prior to joining University of Denver’s faculty adjunct pool George held a number of leadership roles in education, business, and industry. As a high school principal in Colorado’s School District Eleven he led a national school reform movement known as block scheduling. As a human resource manager for the Deluxe Corporation George was the inaugural chair of the Deluxe Diversity Advisory Council. The council’s work led to a widely imitated business and industry diversity model. George served the state of Colorado in the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) as the chair of the Civil Rights Commission. He also demonstrated leadership in the faith community as executive and youth pastor of a local ministry. He has demonstrated organizational leadership through managing the mid-level leadership program, The Leadership Development Program (LDP) and CCL’s program designed for C-suite executives, the Leadership at the Peak Program (LAP). Recently he served as the Global Markets Design Deliver Manager for the San Diego and Colorado Springs campuses responsible for overall strategic utilization of internal and adjunc faculty and the design integrity in client proposals and leadershp solutions George is adjunct faculty for the D.C. based Executive Leadership Council that focuses on advancing leaders of color into the executive suite and executive boards of Fortune 500 companies.

Current Role

George is in a Senior Adjunct Faculty role for the Societal Impact’s Non-profit Sector at the Colorado Springs campus of the Center for Creative leadership. His work involves a number of foundations and their respecitve program focus on health, education, children, and community change efforts with an equity, diversity, and inclusion focus. In this role he as able to leverage over 25 years of executive leadership engagement. He continues his leadership and execuitve coaching consulting under his LLC, Better Leadership.

Educational Background

George has undergraduate degree in history and graduate degree in education, from Colorado State University. His doctorate in Leadership and Change from Antioch University

Publications and Professional Affiliations

George’s leadership profile includes publishing Wholeness at Work, an article on social identity at work and he contributed to a Guidebook, Social Identity. He co-authored Boundary Spanning Across Leadership Cultures: A Leadership Strategy for the Comprehensive Approach: transforming international civil-military interactions from his team’s work with General Lloyd Austin and James Jefferies, the US Ambassador to Iraq during the final stages of Iraqi Freedom.

He has over 35 years of community service that include the Center for the Prevention of Domestic Violence, Ronald McDonald House, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), a USATF sports club, Speed, Inc., and founding board member at the Atlas Preparatory School. He currently serves on the board of the Pikes Peak Community Foundation and the Solid Rock Community Development Corporation.

Master of Ceremonies Smith

Mitchell IV

(DJ Young Smitchell)

D.J.| On-Air Talent| Production

C: (386)566-1088

E: DJ Young Smitchell

Originally from Columbus, OH (that’s right, a Buckeye!) now residing in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Smith found his passion and love for music at an early age. Upon receiving his degree in Mass Communications from The Great BethuneCookman University (Go Wildcats!), Young Smitchell found his passion in the art of DJ’ing. His style of mixing has always been a labor of love, not to mention a culture and lifestyle.

Praying for Mayor, the City Council, and our Government

�Praying…

Blessing of the food

Rabbi Iah Pillsbury (she/they) is the Rabbi at Temple Beit Torah, an inclusive reform congregation in Colorado Springs. Rabbi Pillsbury is deeply committed to tikkun olam (repairing the world) and building healthier communities and relationships to community. She is cochair of Colorado Springs Faith Table and active in the wider Jewish Community and Colorado Springs Community. Rabbi Pillsbury graduated with honors from the University of Chicago and was ordained by Hebrew Union CollegeJewish Institute of Religion, Cincinnati campus.

�Praying…

Prayer for the Mayor, City Council, and our legislators by Minister

Michele Legette. A Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 30+ years of experience working with all types of individuals from all walks of life, but primarily Children, Youth and Families in both the school system and in the field of Mental Health. She recently retired from School District 11 as a School Social Worker after 27 years of service at the High school and Middle School Level. Michele graduated from The Colorado Springs School and then received all my Post High School education at the University of Denver whereby I received a B.A. in Psychology, a master’s degree in social work and a Principal License. She loves helping, empowering others any way that she can.

Ms. Legette is a Licensed Minister of The Gospel and attends St. John’s Baptist Church whereby she is the Women’s Ministry Leader and teaches Sunday School. She loves to hear great preaching and teaching as well as encouraging others and seeing God move in the lives of His people.

Michele Legette has lived in Colorado for many years and considers herself a native. She has 11 nieces and nephews and countless others that she claims as her own. She loves to travel, cook (a foodie!), watch movies, and hang out with family and friends in her spare time.

Praying for Our Nation, Government, Community, and Family �Praying…

Prayer for family by Reverend Ron Phares, All Souls Unitarian Universalist

Born and raised in Arizona, Rev. Ron Phares (he/him) recently moved to Colorado Springs from Vancouver, British Columbia. In his 13 years of service within the Unitarian Universalist tradition Rev. Phares has gravitated to ministries of eco-spirituality, anti-racism, economic justice, and the dismantling of systems and dispositions beholden to the assumption of domination. Happy to be returned to the U.S., he, along with his wife, twin girls, two cats and a dog are happy to begin growing roots in The Springs.

Prayer for our Nation by Ahmed Salih, Islamic Society of Colorado Springs. Ahmed Salih is a volunteer interpreter and volunteer khateeb at the Islamic Society of Colorado Springs. He works as a biology Tutor at Pikes Peak State College. He loves road biking and he is interested in reading different subjects like religion, science, literature and philosophy.

Benediction by Pastor Paul Nelson, The Living Word Bible Church

My name is Pastor Paul P. Nelson of The Living Word Bible Church in Colorado Springs. I have been Pastoring for 11 years and been in the ministry for 32 years. I am the President of the Pikes Peak Southern Christian Leadership Conference 1 after the late Henry D. Allen Jr. when it was PPSCLC. I am the Chaplin of the Gospel Music Workshop of America (GMWA). I am a father of three grown children and a grandfather of 11 grandchildren. The PPSCLC1 is also a Civil Rights organization here in Colorado Springs and the work we are doing is fighting injustices against people of color. We have been fighting cases against housing, school bullying, criminal justice cases, etc. On May 2, 2024, we are having a National Day of Prayer Breakfast. My prayer is that we can fight the good together as Civil Rights organizations as the workload is get heavy.

The Occasion presented by Shirley Martinez

As part of a military family, Shirley Martinez was born in Waycross, Georgia and traveled across the world with her siblings and father who served in the United States Air Force. Influenced by her father, Shirley made a career of the military for 20+ years in the Navy as a Telecommunications Petty Officer and then the Army as a Journeyman Welder and maintenance supervisor in the Air Defense Artillery. While in the military, she met her husband Paul in Naples, Italy, married and together had four children. After moving to several bases, Ms. Martinez and her family eventually moved to Fountain, Colorado, where all four of her sons and two grandsons graduated from Fountain-Fort Carson High School. Ms. Martinez finished her career in the military as a Court Reporter and Chief Legal Non-commissioned officer and Equal Employment Officer (EEO) before retiring from the Fort Carson JAG office. Upon retirement from the military, Ms. Martinez worked for Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) as the Senior EEO/Compliance Specialist and Diversity Advisor before retiring in 2020.

Some of Ms. Martinez’s notable achievements include becoming Chair of the 2012 Sister City Joint Event with Fujiyoshida Japan, the Everybody Welcome Festivals and Cotton Club events, Fannie Mae Duncan Statue committee and developing a Cultural Excellence Institutional Diligence plan; and creating a Military Mobility Program. Throughout her strategic work, she was an integral part in teams, groups, and programs receiving awards to include, but not limited to: The 2013 Secretary of Defense Employer Freedom Award, the 2017 Extraordinary Employer Award, the Employer Support of the Guard award, and the Reserves Seven Seals Award. Personally, she was named the 2010 Woman of Influence, received Governor Polis 2020 Colorado Department of Labor & Employment Shining Stars for Disability Employment Award, the 2020 Resolution for Service to Rate Payers of Colorado Springs Utilities, the Utilities’ Board 20-06, the 2021 Spirit of the Springs Award from Mayor Suthers for COS 150 and most recently 2024 Pikes Peak Women’s Unsung Heroines Award.

Ms. Martinez is currently the Director of Multicultural Outreach and Accessibility for Pikes Peak Library District; President of Fountain Fort Carson School Board (District 8), President of the Pikes Peak Diversity Council, Co-Chair for BAC Elevating Leadership for El Pomar, Former Board member at large; of Rocky Mountain Healthcare Services (RMHCS), President of the Rev Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, preservation society. She is also a member of the Garden of the Gods Rotary Club. Ms. Martinez is currently in her doctoral dissertation phase at the University of phoenix, She also volunteers for several non-profits in El Paso County.

Advocating for applying, expressing and Celebrating all things Diversity and Inclusion

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Legacy Preservation Society

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Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated Iota Beta Omega Chapter

Celebra ng our two new *Diamond AKAs

Ms. Lillian Mallory and Ms. W. Juanita Roberts, joining our chapter’s first Diamond AKA Ms. Minnie Ray Hunter

Congratulates the NAACP, Colorado Springs on its Juneteenth Prayer Breakfast

Members of Iota Beta Omega Chapter

Pandora Young Osler, President Alicia Geolingo, Vice-President

Addie Alexander, Recording Secretary

LaVerna Davis, Treasurer

Ericka Farmer-Hill, Corresponding Secretary

Saadia Dumas, Chaplain

Dawn-Antoinette Thomas, Historian

Allison Osler, Official Hostess

Celestine Walker, Sergeant-At-Arms

Essie Abbott

Victoria Cameron

Bessie Dowdell

Minnie Ray Hunter

Heather Johnson

Robin Lyons

Jennifer Ray

Sophie Sims

Danielle Summerville

Joy Titus-Bengogullari

Kimberly Wheatley

Lisa Younger Anderson

Allison Lewis, Assist. Recording Secretary

Lucia Harrison, Financial Secretary

Danielle Osler, Parliamentarian

Anissa Jones Boyd, Ivy Leaf Reporter

Trivonda Richmond, Archivist

Cayce Moses, Graduate Advisor

Malikah Marrus, Commissioner of Information

M. Athenia Bailey

Gwendolyn Grimes

Catherine Greenard

Ruth Jenkins

Si’Mona Johnson

Lillian Mallory

W. Juanita Roberts

Linda Smith

TiCondra Swartz

Gloria Turnipseed

Carolyn Williams

Erika Zeigler-Rabet

Sheri Burks

Dominique Conner

Betty Holmes

Gloria Johnson

Rhoda Lockett Moore

Charlene Perry

Kristel Sharp

Angela Stevens

Lelieth Thompson

Garnetta Watson

Lynne Williams

*Diamond represents women with membership in Alpha Kappa Alpha for at least 75 years

Rev. Dennis Mose

Minister Nathaniel Black

Thank you to the Colorado Springs Branch NAACP Juneteenth Prayer Breakfast Planning Committee

Vote - Move

Mountains!

Vigilant against the evils of oppression, prejudice, and exploitation through fervent and wholehearted prayer for the nation, government leaders, community, and family so we may truly be the land of the free.

Calling upon our community to reaffirm their commitment to eradicating hate, racism, and inequity and continuing the work of equity, justice, and hope.

Committee members

Tomas Dawson

Angela Stevens

Sheila Grumbach

Dr. Nancy Dawson

Sandra Collins

Brenda King

Lynne Williams June Waller

Joan Hofer

Shirley Martinez

Walt Johnson