Delta Sigma Theta Sorority to Host National Red Carpet for MARSHALL - In Theatres Through the USi

By Gloria Dulan-Wilson

Hello All:

I'm busting with Lincoln University and Delta Sigma Theta Pride - all at the same time - which means that I am walking in very high cotton.  Reginald Hudlin, of the Hudlin Brothers fame, has produced and released a dynamic biopic on the life of the Great Thurgood Marshall - the only - I say ONLY - Black Supreme Court Justice - who graduated from LINCOLN UNIVERSITY - which set him on his course of activism and advocacy early on.  

We are so proud to have been the progenitor of this great brother.  And while his fellow Frat Brother, Roland Martin brags on his being a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, he has to also remember that he pledged and crossed at Lincoln University.

Not only are we proud of Lincoln University's part in the development of this great brother and his subsequent contribution to the world; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority is hosting a nationwide Red Carpet in support of this wonderful movie in theaters throughout the US.  

Chadwick  Boseman, who also starred in the James Brown biopic, portrays a young Thurgood Marshall just starting out in his career, prior to Brown V Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, and being appointed to the Supreme Court.

marshall the movie

For those of us who thought that the only thing that Thurgood Marshall was famous for was being a Supreme Court Justice, this will be a very revealing and inspiring movie  Marshall, whose nickname was "Goodie" while a student at Lincoln University.

Thurgood Marshall in 1936 at the beginning of his career with the NAACP

As you can see, he was a Fine Black Man

Thurgood Marshall was born on July 2, 1908 in  Baltimore, MD.  According to reports his great grandfather  was originally from the Congo, and was kidnapped and dragged to the US as a slave.  His name came from his grandfather, who was originally called Thoroughgood - the spelling was changed to Thurgood for simplification.  His dad, William Marshall, was a Pullman Porter, and his mom, Ms. Norma Marshall, was an educator. As a child he attended Frederick Douglass High School n Baltimore.  He was an intelligent student (thanks to his parents), maintained a B average, was top in his class, and graduated early and entered Lincoln University, PA.

While some thought he wanted to be a dentist, he became interested in law while at Lincoln U.  According to his original application to Lincoln, he was interested in become a lawyer - something unheard of in Maryland at that time, which is probably why he chose to attend Lincoln - then known as The Black Princeton. He majored in American Literature and and philosophy.   His classmates included the great musician and entertainer, Cab Calloway, Nnamdi Azikewe  (who became the first President of Nigeria), Langston Hughes, among others. 

He was very much a party animal, and was suspended twice for hazing and pranking his classmates  - hence the nickname "Goodie," because he was always up for a good time.  He was a member of the debate team, which eventually spurred his interest in civil rights.  Or it may have been because Lincoln was routinely threatened by the KKK from the surrounding area of Maryland - in addition to the racism in the surrounding community that refused service to the students.  

According to Wikipedia as a student at Lincoln, he opposed the integration of African American professors to Lincoln.  Langston Hughes is purported to have called  him "rough and ready, loud and wrong." After having participated in a sit in  demonstration against a segregated movie theatre in Oxford, PA, he began to have a more determined sense of purpose and started taking an active interest in fighting injustice for the least of these - Black people who didn't have a voice, and didn't have access to legal means.  But he was a long way from realizing that goal.  He married in 1929 to Vivien Burey.  He graduated from Lincoln with honors, receiving a BA in Humanities from Lincoln. He was tops in his class at Lincoln and the head of his class at Howard as well.  His intention was to go to law school in Maryland; however the pre-existing predominance of racism prevented him from attending the University of Maryland.  He ended up attending Howard for his law degree, under his mentor, Dr. Charles Hamilton Houston.   where he graduated at the head of his class. ]

Marshall Graduated from Lincoln University in 1930 and from Howard University in 1933.

He had been named legal counsel to the NAACP shortly after having passed the bar, and served in that capacity from 1938 through 1967.  His primary focus at that time was not necessarily Civil Rights, but providing counsel to Blacks who were facing racist injustice  It's what called him to Connecticut to defend a Black man who had been accused of attempting to rape a white woman.  Without giving away the entire plot, let's just say that the year was 1940, segregation, racism, and lynching were still in effect.  Marshall soon finds out that being in the North gives him no real advantage - while he is allowed to be in the courtroom - the racist northern judicial system will not allow  him to speak in court in order to represent his client.

It is because of this that the NAACP teams him up with a Jewish (white) lawyer - Mr. Friedman, who is dealing with issues of his own via anti semitism.  This takes place just prior to WWII and Pearl Harbor.  This movie gives a glimpse into so many aspects of the Marshall Persona - not just the dignified personage everyone had become accustomed to seeing in his latter years - but the audacious, yet contemplative Marshall. 

Thurgood Marshall photographed in 1967 in the Oval Office

This is the Thurgood Marshall I met in 1965 at Hampton Institute when

he came to give the keynote speech for the graduating class.

I had the great privilege of meeting the great man before he became Supreme Court Justice in the late Spring of 1965 when I served as usher for the graduating class.  I had the privilege of escorting him to the stage - and the pleasure of a brief conversation with him.  He had a great sense of humor and an easy going manner.  I was awestruck that he even spoke to me, let alone had a conversation.  I will never forget it as long as I live.

I am looking forward to the screening of this great movie - as we should all be - and being a part of taking it over the top with our support as Black people for a Black man who did so much for us, and whose legacy continues to live on.

I vividly remember when he stepped down from the bench on the Supreme Court, and they asked him why he was retiring.  He candidly said (paraphrasing), "because I'm dying. I've waited for them to bring another Black man to the Supreme Court.  I can't wait any longer.  There's an undertaker walking behind me measuring me for a grave."   He never lost his humor, nor his sense of purpose or his Blackness.

For movie times and dates, consult your local newspapers, or local theaters. 

Long live the memory and legacy of the great Thurgood Marshall.  

Dr. William "Willie" Bryant, DDS has made his Transition to the Realm of Ancestor/Angel

By Gloria Dulan-Wilson

Hello All:

Another dear friend, Dr. William "Willie" Bryant, DDS, has joined the Ancestor/Angels.  The news of his passing hit me like a ton of bricks, because I just invoked his name (subconsciously) two days before I learned of his passing from my friend and fellow journalist, Victoria Horsford.  I had subconsciously queried why I hadn't heard from him in reference to an article I recently posted, which I thought would have been of interest to him.

Having  forwarded Victoria a copy of my Blog on the passing of Dr. Frances Cress Welsing, she responded with the sad news of Will's passing.  I was blown away.  And my sadness was  compounded only moreso by the fact that Willie Bryant was married to one of my homegirls, Soror and favorite person on the planet, the former Goldie Battle (Watkins)!  We had actually made him an "honorary Oklahoman" - a running joke between us that never got old.  

He was such an easygoing, wonderful guy, with a great sense of humor, and a great deal of pride.  However, the most important thing to us was how much he and Goldie loved each other, and seemed to be made for each other right from the outset. 

Goldie was (and still is) an elegant, breezy, eloquent, beautiful woman, who enchanted and charmed everyone she met - and apparently Will was no exception.  He carved her out of our coterie of bachelorettes who were dedicated to the proposition of having a good time and at the same time, making a difference in the world.  Will wooed her away, won her heart, wed her and whisked her our of Harlem up to Rockland County!!  Kind of like a fairy tale.  However, they were both in their late 50's, and taking a chance on dreams that so many had long ago given up on.  An that's what made it all the more wonderful; and what made Willie Bryant one of my personal heroes (I admit to being a hopeless romanticist) - he saw what/who he wanted, and went for it/her.   They were a dynamic couple from day one!!  And they enjoyed twenty years of a life of love and togetherness.  

Goldie and Willie Bryant - 20 Years of Love, Happiness and Devotion

I remember once visiting Goldie and Willie in their lovely home in Rockland County - and the sofa and coffee table were both so full of books, projects, photos, there was no place to sit - literally. They both had so much going on, Will commented, "I'm thinking about adding a wing just for our projects - we seem to have run out of space already."  And Goldie added, "Either that or get more sofas."
And that was the other wonderful thing about Willie and Goldie - the capacity to dovetail in on each other's thoughts - to be so in sync with each other.   It was apparent that I wans't the only one aware of this dynamic duo, for in  March of 2012 both Willie and Goldie were honored at a Howard University Charter Day luncheon sponsored by the HU Alumni Association of Westchester and Rockland Counties.

 

Among the great many awards and honors he had received from civic and Greek organizations over the years,  Willie was the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award from Florida A&M University; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Awards from various community organizations; the Volunteer Beyond Excellence Award from the New York Organ Donor Network for promoting organ and tissue donation in 2003; Rockland's Alpha Man of the Year in 2004; the Buffalo Soldiers’ Award in 2006; inducted into the Rockland County Human Rights/Civil Rights Hall of Fame in 2008l and recipient of the 2012 Howard University Westchester/Rockland Distinguished Alumni Award.
He also initiated the Claudia M. Bryant and Willie L. Bryant, Jr. Endowed Scholarship at Florida A&M University with fifty thousand dollars, in honor of his mother and son. 

Not content with just being a community and political activist, Willie embarked upon the entrepreneurial route of being an restauranteer/entertainer, and opened a restaurant and night club in Rockland County called Xtravagant Taste.  The menu ranged from sumptuous to simple, with something for everybody.   They offered entertainment from R & B to Oldies but Goodies, and a little Jazz thrown in for good measure.  I had the pleasure of visiting the club on the occasion of a 70th birthday celebration given in Goldie's honor by Will.  It was a great space, with the kind of ambiance befitting the sophisticated crowd it drew. 
 

In addition to parties and celebrations, Willie also liked to maintain a level of cultural relevance.  He had contacted me in reference to bringing friend and former Lincoln University Classmate, Gil Scott Heron to perform:
goldwillie@aol.com wrote:   "Yes, I would like for you to contact GIL Scott Heron(?) for me.  We  have an interest in bring him to  Rockland County on Sunday, March 14, 2009  at or about 5 PM for National Women History Month.Let me know the possibility  and the details of how we may conference call with him or his agent.Then, too, you may know of a well named female artist as well.      Keep up the great work in the comunity!     Thank you, Willie L Bryant, DDS "

Actually, one of the things I will miss most about Will Bryant, now that he's joined the ranks of the Ancestor/Angels, are his pithy statements and responses to my Blog posts and emails - they were generally short, sweet and to the point.

Goldie and Willie were part of the first ten recipients on my Gloria Dulan-Wilson Blog mailing list, and I was always pleased when I struck a responsive cord from him in reference to something I had said - whether he agreed with me or not.  Some of them I'm sharing with you below:  

>Being originally from Florida, Willie was particularly incensed at the Trayvon Martin Case, and took a definitive stance.  This is the response from an article I wrote where there was a great deal of division over whether to boycott Florida: 
4/4/2012  Subject: Re: FLORIDA NAACP AGAINST BOYCOTT

In reference to the Trayvon Martin murder:

"All:   Let us keep focus on the arrest of murderer George Zimmerman.  Let us not get side tracked.  Let us be united on the arrest and refrain from striking out at each other. We will always have different strategies as did Martin Luther King, Jr.,  Thurgood Marshall and Malcolm X, to name a few, as well as our major organizations, the NAACP, CORE, SCLC and the NAN.

Willie L. Bryant, Diamond Life Member, NAACP"

 

>He was deeply spiritual, and would express it in his writings, such as a commentary on a photo I sent him in 2010, entitled  An Unbelievable Bridge (where the water flowed over the bridge instead of under it):  "God made man to achieve many unbelievable tasks. Willie L Bryant"

 .  

>He was a loyal supporter of President Barack Obama - and responded to an article I posted against verbal attacks made against him during the Occupy Wall Street Demonstrations via an eBlast warning people to never send me any Ant-Obama attacks or emails or they would be blocked:

"I wonder who is paying the $1.25 for this attack on our president. I agree block them all out!

On another note, I stand for justice in the killing of our beloved drum major Robert Champion. This brutal  attack was not Hazing. It was what is was---Homicide --and in my  humble opinion it was done with the intent to do extreme harm.  A loyal FAMUan,

Willie L  Bryant"

 

 

>A loyal Alumnus of Florida A& M University, affectionately known as FAMU, he never missed an opportunity to honor anyone affiliated with his alma mater.  He reached out to Victoria and myself when there was an event or opportunity that should be included in the media:

 09/15/11:   "Victoria and Gloria: I would appreciate any news coverage for the event listed above and below. Ms. Joycelyn Morris is the NY Chapter/State President of the FAMU National Alumni Association.She can be reached at the email above and the University contact person can be reached below.  Your support in this matter is appreciated. Willie"  

>And when the great Gil Noble, of "LIKE IT IS," suffered a stroke, Goldie and Willie were the first to respond to the email requesting prayers for him:   "8/4/11 Our prayers are for our brother to return to full health soon.Keep us informed.   Brother Bryant and Goldie"

However, our world became even smaller when Willie and I discovered we had even more in common than his marriage to my homegirl, Goldie. It turned out that I had attended Lincoln University with his twin sisters, Ann and Sharon Ashley (Class of '70)!  What are the odds of that happening???  This discovery came via a very circuitous route - since it had never been discussed. Having attended an alumni weekend at Lincoln, at the same time his sisters did, they apparently shared some photos with Will and Goldie that included me in a group shot.  When he and Goldie pointed me out in the photo, Ann and Sharon informed him that we had been classmates (though they were freshmen and I was a senior at the time), and our rooms were adjacent to each other.   What a small and wonderful world!   Willie joked about it: "Well you've made me an honorary Oklahoman, I guess that means I have to adopt you now!  I already liked you, so this is really great."   

I guess  I began to notice that Will had not responded to my emails in quite some time around the middle of 2015 - however, it didn't occur to me that he had been ill.  Though we hadn't spoken in some time, I chalked that up to their usual whirlwind life style.  I was so caught off the mark to learn that he had been fighting a losing battle with cancer.  

He leaves behind him to share so many treasured memories,  his wife, Goldie,  and two of his three children,Wendell L. Bryant, and Amy D. Bryant (Willie“William”L. Bryant is deceased), his sisters Ann and Sharon; as well as sisters and brothers, nieces, nephews, and other family members, a host of friends, fraternity brothers, community associates and admirers - including yours truly.  
 

My family - Kira, Ra and Adiya - and I send our love, support and condolences to Goldie, Ann, Sharon, and the rest of his brothers, sisters and family members, upon the transition of this wonderful soul to the next plane of action as Ancestor/Angel/Activist.

Stay Blessed

Gloria

 

 

 

 

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Dr. Dorothy Irene Height, On Loan From the Angels, Has Returned Home

by Gloria Dulan-Wilson

Three weeks ago at the Medgar Evers College's Black Writers’ Conference Award Ceremonies, Susan Taylor, who was serving as hostess, made the announcement that Dr. Dorothy I. Height had been admitted to the hospital, “near death." According to Taylor, knowing she could leave at any time, Dr. Height had called Taylor and other prominent, avant guarde Black women to her side to discuss the carrying forward of her mission. "Everyone, please pray for Dr. Height,” Susan concluded, in that gentle, whispery way of talking she has (makes you lean in and pay attention to what she's saying). The following day all the newspapers, national and local, had prematurely headlined Dr. Height's death.

Being an Aries, I kind of knew that Dr. Height, also an Aries, was not going to go that easily. She was definitely going to try to make sure that things were in order, and in the right hands first, before she made her transition. She was not going to leave this plane of action all willy-nilly, no matter what the doctors or newspapers were saying. She was sent here on a mission, and she was definitely going to make sure that it had been accomplished. In other words, like Mark Twain, at that time, the news of her death had been greatly exaggerated; and she held every one at bay, telling them to keep her seat warm in Heaven, while she capped everything off. (again, it's my Aries ego, sorry - not))

Realizing, however, that Dr. Height was in her 90’s, I knew it really could be a matter of time before she might make her transition. Susan Taylor’s announcement started my consciousness circling back to days when Dr. Height was very much active and involved in the community; out and about, and in better physical condition. So, while I, along with the rest of the audience prayed for her complete recovery (or safe transition), I also silently thanked God for having known and had the blessing of briefly interacting with her.

When it comes to Dr. Height, I have always had her on a pedestal since childhood. As kids in Oklahoma we were required to know about all Black people who had done, or were doing anything positive and significant for us. Dr. Height and the National Council of Negro Women was pretty close to the top, along with Eleanor Holmes Norton, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, Shirley Chisolm, Marion Anderson, Lena Horne, Constance Baker Motley, and others, who made up the pantheon of powerful Black women.

Dr. Height is an inspiration to me of what a Black woman (any woman for that matter) can be and do when she is working from the optimum of her spiritual, intellectual, mental, and physical capacity.

Dr. Dorothy Irene Height, is indeed an amazing and phenomenal woman. I am so proud to have known her, and prouder still that we are both proud members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, which gave me the privilege of getting and receiving a “Delta embrace” from her whenever were in the same event or vicinity (okay, I used "proud" three times in the same paragraph - I'll try to restrain myself).

She is exemplary of a woman who loves her people so much, she devoted her considerable intelligence, creativity, time, talent, energy to whatever project there was that was doing the same thing. The NCNW is still viable because of the 40 years of unbroken leadership, and because she selected a successor who would be as devoted to the progress of the organization as she was.

Whenever I would see Dr. Height at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, which she attended every year, practically from its inception, I would go over and compliment her on her beautiful hat, and she would likewise compliment me on mine (we both loved and maintain a fairly large collection of elegant hats). I thought I was walking in “high cotton” just to be able to get that close to this wonderful icon. She was always so pleasant, placid and poised. And as a Delta I always felt I had bragging rights just to be in the same sorority with someone of her personage and stature. Wow!!

But it took three Black men to rachet it up a notch and make it possible for me to know Dr. Height in a way I never imagined possible. And it’s also to show you how God works when he intends to do something for your good. The three men are, in their own right, Icons in my book. Each has distinguished himself in some way in his field. They actually had come together to do good for the community as a result of having benefited from their own efforts.

These three brothers* were the great Don King, Boxing Impresario and expert on the US Constitution; Samuel Brown, founder and Executive Director of Our Children’s Foundation (OCF), the best after school educational program - ever! And none other that Mike Tyson, World Boxing Heavy Weight Champion! *(For those who are not from the real school, "brothers" is another word for Black men).

Now, for those of you who are familiar with Our Children’s Foundation, you already know the story, so I know you’re saying, “Oh yeah, that’s right - I forgot.” To the sports writers who thought they were coming to a sports gathering and found that it was “just an old lady and some kids with the champ”, and so, were disappointed, you missed the opportunity to be in the presence of greatness, the aura African American divadom (diva is not about age, it's about quality).

Now how, you may ask, did these three Black men introduce me to Dr. Height? First of all, Sam Brown, founder of Our Children’s Foundation, has been in the forefront of providing unique opportunities for Black youth to know and interact with contemporary Black s/heroes for over 40 years. As a result he established the Children’s Hero Award, and allowed the children of Our Children’s Foundation to present awards to people they felt had been instrumental in doing great and positive things for the Black community. The award had nothing to do with politics or fame; it had to do with what the recipient had done for the youth in the community.

Don King, on the other hand, was still managing Mike Tyson at the time; and was trying to teach the champ to give something back to the community. As a result, each time Mike Tyson won a fight, he would donate 10% (tithe) to charitable organizations. Our Children’s Foundation happened to have been one of Don King’s favorite organizations because of the work they did with youth. It also happened that it coincided with the Children’s Hero Award that OCF was giving to Dr. Dorothy Height.

Normally, the Children's Hero Award event would have been held at OCF’s headquarters in Harlem; but, because of the magnitude of the situation, it was held in mid-town Manhattan. I was invited by Sam Brown to cover the event. It would be the second time I had met Mr. King (the first was on a boat ride fundraiser that 100 Black Men used to give). I had the pleasure and privilege of being in the green room when Dr. Height arrived. I had had the opportunity to talk to Mike Tyson, who very excited and acted like a big overgrown kid around Dr. Height.

He had been reading her bio, and absolutely loved her. When he found out that one of the organizations that was benefiting from his winnings - in addition to OCF - was National Council of Negro Women, he insisted on presenting it himself (the kids were supposed to make the presentation). She was like the grandmother he never had. It took several reminders to kind of calm him down.

I, myself, got so tickled because the papparazzi would have had a field day had they been able to see the champ, “I-KNOCK-PEOPLE-OUT-TYSON" become putty in the hands of this gracious woman. And, since to them it wasn't headline sport because Tyson and King absolutely refused to talk about anything education or youth (despite the baiting of the press "Who you gonna go up again next time, Champ?) - they blew it. I from the Daily Challenge, and Howie Evens of the Amsterdam News, on the other hand, had the exclusive.

Mike Tyson and Don King surprised Dr. Height with a specially made electronic wheel chair when they found out that she was having difficulty walking. Mike could not wait for her to try it out. In fact, he fairly insisted that she try it out right away. And when she did, and gave him that smile, he was like a little kid who had just received a cookie and a hug from his grandmother.

When I asked Dr. Height how she felt about the adulation she was receiving from Iron Mike Tyson, heavy weight champion of the world. She laughed and responded “I appreciate his energy. He’s basically a good kid that needs love and guidance like everybody else.”

OCF Executive Director, Sam Brown, who is 90% disciplinarian, kept walking Mike back to his seat, but had an amused look on his face as he began to realize how much Tyson really liked Dr. Height. When Tyson made the presentation of his check to Our Children’s Foundation, he likewise made a presentation to Dr. Height. However, he stated, “I wish it was bigger, but I have to give to other charities too. Next time, Dr. Height, I promise it will be bigger.” With that, he hugged her again.

The unfortunate truth is that next time never came -- due to circumstances outside the purview of either the individuals. Other boxing interests came between Don King and Mike Tyson, causing a split in their relationship. A bogus charge of insurance fraud was brought against Don King. Our Children’s Foundation, however, continues to provide excellent guidance and service to the community.

Since the subsequent boxing matches were under a new management house, there was no urging on their part for Mike to give back to the community -- so both Our Children’s Foundation and Dr. Height, as well as the National Homework Program lost Mike as a benefactor. But Dr. Height never saw it as a problem or drawback. “The National Council of Negro Women has always been a self contained, self sufficient organization. We truly appreciate any contributions we receive, but we also will work to generate our own sources,” was her response to my question about continued interfacing with Mike Tyson. However, each time Mike fought, I thought, what a loss for him as well as the organizations he helped support.

On the up side, however, those three men made it possible for me to be in the presence of the greatness of Dr. Dorothy I. Height. A few years ago, the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity (A Phi A), held a luncheon in honor of Dr. Height’s birthday at a hotel out in the middle of Long Island -- I know nothing about Long Island, so don’t ask me.

At that time they were coming together to celebrate what they thought was her 100th birthday. It was a bitter cold day in March, and many of us debated whether it even made sense hold on such a cold day. Accolades on top of accolades were offered in her behalf. It turned out that she would not make it up from DC for the luncheon, because it was entirely too cold for her to be out. She was actually trying to make it, but her doctor stopped her. But when she also made it known that she had not yet reached 100, but was “only” 95, we realized that Dr. Height had not lost her sense of humor; and that she was as much respected by Black men as she was by Black women.

You cannot attend a family reunion without appreciating the Black Family Reunion founded to heal the disparities many Black families still face in a post-traumatic slave syndrome world.

Dr. Height’s life is a blue print in many ways for Black women who aspire to make a contribution to their community. She was graceful, articulate, intelligent, compassionate, humanitarian, business minded as well as philanthropic. She had an amazing sense of history and a deep abiding love for her people. She could interact with people from all stations in life because she had long ago learned that we really all gradations of the same theme -- the way the Great Spirit intended us to be.

I truly salute and revere this wonderful powerful genteel sister. I celebrate knowing her; and I congratulate the many Black men and women who interacted with her on a regular basis, for having the blessing of her wisdom rubbing off on them.

Dr. Dorothy I. Height, another Angel who’s returned to your rightful place in the African S/Hero Pantheon, Gentleman that he is, Dr. Ben Hooks is graciously holding the door open for you. My deep appreciation your faith, your blessing us; and for loving us so much that you stayed with us for nearly a century trying to help us get it right.

Thank you for your life, spirit and inspiration.

Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
TTBOD.