In Memory of Nellie Mae Suggs

Nellie Mae Suggs 1944- 2021

Nellie Mae Suggs was born on November 11, 1944 in Grenada, MS. Her high school and college education were completed in Mississippi.

Nellie was a proud graduate of Tougaloo College and believed in the importance of education and supporting Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Early employment included the US Department of Labor Statistics and the Veterans Administration in Chicago, IL. After a long career in government, Nellie retired from the US Department of Homeland Security (Customs) as an Equal Employment Opportunity Specialist.

Nellie met her beloved husband Ronald in Chicago, IL in 1969. The family relocated to New Jersey in 1978. Shortly afterward, she joined and became an active member of St. John's Baptist Church in Scotch Plains, NJ, where she faithfully served as treasurer, trustee, Sunday School teacher, and coordinator of the Women's Ministry. In addition, Nellie was a past president of the Women's Auxiliary of the Middlesex Central Baptist Association and past financial secretary of the Women's Auxiliary of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.

Petite in stature, she served the Lord with grace and dignity. She was all about SERVICE. Nellie's community and civic participation included the American Association of University Women (AAUW); The Obsidians Civic Club, an affiliate of the New Jersey Federation of Colored Women's Clubs; The Scotch Plains Chapter of the New Jersey Orators; Phi Eta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; and many other service and community focused organizations.

Nellie is survived by her husband Ronald and two sons, Robin (Lynada) and Rory; her granddaughters, Alaysha, Jailyn, and Tahlia; and a host of nieces, nephews and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers, and a sister.

Donations may be made to the Nellie M. Suggs Scholarship Fund at ivydreamfoundation. org/donate.

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HISTORIC PHOTO

Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka is quick to point out that he stands on the shoulders of those who came before him. In this circa 1972 photo, baby Ras J. Baraka rests on the shoulder of Newark's first African American mayor, Kenneth Gibson (1970-1986). Given the serious look on young Ras’ face, he might have been contemplating his future even then. Mayor Baraka along with the Newark Municipal Council, led two public tributes to Mr. Gibson upon his death on March 29, 2019. In May, 2019, Mayor Baraka presided over the renaming of the city of Newark’s main thoroughfare to “Kenneth A. Gibson Boulevard.”

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Photo: Zella Jones, MarketbyMarket I n the summer of 2019, executives of Golden Krust Caribbean Bakeries, the Hawthorne brothers, took a moment to salute Honorable David N. Dinkins along with Neighborhood Technical Assistance Clinic (NTAC) President Rev. Dr. Valerie Oliver Durrah and Adrian A. Council, Sr.

Mayor Dinkins received a Lifetime Achievement Award at NTAC' s annual gala in Brooklyn, “A Salute to NYC ‘s Nonprofits and the Neighborhoods They Serve.” Golden Krust supported this event by providing a “Taste of the Caribbean.” The mission of NTAC is to serve the needs of philanthropic individuals and organizations in their efforts to develop support and maintain effective community-based programs.

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The African American Cultural Narrative

African Americans are a unique people with a peculiar history in this land. Brought to these shores in chains from Africa in the early 1600s, our people toiled and suffered as captives in brutal bondage for a quarter of a millennium (250 years). On January 1, 1863, two years into the Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation, signed by President Abraham Lincoln, became law, signaling an end to slavery. On that day, the African American community of the United States of America was born.

One hundred years later in August 1963, at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial, as he led hundreds of thousands to a March on Washington, seeking an end to discrimination and 90 years of Jim Crow segregation in the South. It was a demand for full and equal citizen’s rights for the people in what has been called “the Second Emancipation.”

Forty years after Martin Luther King Jr.’s tragic assassination in 1968, America elected its first black president, the Honorable Barack Obama (2008).

In the 100 years between the first and second emancipation, in the midst of bitter persecution, humiliation, lynching, and enduring the denial of basic human rights, the resiliency of the African American spirit continued to shine brightly in religion, business, education, medicine, invention, sports, and in the creative arts—music, fashion, dance, language, literature, and theater. Indeed, original American art forms and a popular culture which has become the envy of the world were founded upon the souls of a forlorn people! And that is our story—the Truth, Beauty and Goodness of a loving and gifted race—revealed!

An Extraordinary History

Ours is an extraordinary history of trial, tribulation, and triumph that we must never, ever forget! This is the very story we must tell our children and ever be remembered for all future generations. We the people, descendants of the Great Emancipation must tell our story and sing our greatest songs to each other and to the entire world! We must remind ourselves over and over again of the noble struggle, human dignity, sacrifices and wisdom of our torch-bearing forefathers; of our goodly heritage, our divine inheritance; our great music legacy—Positive Music Matters!

This is our story—the cultural narrative—a new language of freedom; a springboard toward a great and prosperous future; a spiritually enlightened ideal. A vision of hope, opportunity, and progress; liberty and happiness; health and wholeness—peace and goodwill!

WE’VE COME THIS FAR BY FAITH…! —Adrian A. Council, Sr.

thepositivecommunity.com Winter 2021 Vol. 21 No. 1

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Adrian A. Council, Sr. Editor-in-Chief

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The Last Word

BY R.L. WITTER

LIFE GOES ON

“Sometimes we must be strong/You know that life goes on for us if we can’t be together/Don’t cheat yourself/Happiness is ‘round the corner/It will come to you/So have faith in future love ‘cuz there’s heaven up above/When we think we’ve reached the end/The World keeps on spinning” — The Brand New Heavies

Ihave found myself struggling. March will mark one year since the addition of COVID-19 to my usual germaphobia and neuroses turned everything upside down. The first several months were okay for me. Truth be told, I don’t enjoy large groups or gatherings. So, staying home wasn’t much of a struggle or imposition. We’ve been seeing friends and family via Zoom, FaceTime, and Facebook Rooms, and are grateful for the technology that allows us to keep in contact.

We’ve been blessed to remain healthy; but that has meant almost total isolation. We’ve watched more television than we care to admit and completed at least 50 jigsaw puzzles. Hubby honed his already-stellar cooking skills, so we’ve also gained some weight. I think we’ve gotten take-out food three times in the past year, and each time it has paled in comparison to Hubby’s creations.

By September I was in need of more stimulation and interaction. We met a couple of friends at a lake about 90 minutes from home. We maintained social distance and were able to enjoy an afternoon of in-person conversation accompanied by beautiful scenery and a spectacular sunset. Toward the end of October, we visited those friends in their backyard around their fire pit. I began to see cracks in my façade in November when I realized it would be too cold to continue our social, outdoor evenings. Soon after, I found myself feeling listless and disinterested in any and everything. I wasn’t ready to gather indoors with people, but how else would we maintain our limited interactions with the two people who were now our entire in-person social circle?

After months without hair and nail appointments, massages, travel, dining out, filling the gas tank, etc., I had a little money saved for a rainy day. I decided to invest it in the next sunny day and renovated some outdoor space to make in-person gatherings a possibility. Thanks to some new patio furniture and a few patio heaters, we’re able to enjoy socially-distant socializing on warmer weekend afternoons. It’s just the four of us, but we enjoy a little slice of normalcy as we sip hot tea or cocoa. Hubby has even fired up the grill a few times. I can also revel in the quiet beauty of nature, read a book, pray, or crochet a bit. I have to make a blanket for a new addition to the family who will be arriving in May.

I guess as long as the sun comes up each morning, birds continue to sing, and babies are being born, life goes on. Like everything else, this, too shall pass. The world keeps on spinning.