Thunderbolt leaders honor local civil rights pioneers
During the town hall council meeting Mayor Dana Williams and town leaders paid tribute to the brave residents of Thunderbolt who played a role in the civil rights movement.
The council also honored Eloria Gilbert with a proclamation, recognizing her years of service with the NAACP and her contributions to the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum.
Town leaders said they hope events like this inspire future generations to continue advocating for justice and equality.
Another highlight of the evening was a recognition for Central Missionary Baptist Church as it celebrates its 125th anniversary.
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Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Yahoo
NAACP plans free clinic and Back-to-School Fair on July 26 in Oak Ridge
Come and get 'tooled up' for the 2025-2026 school year at the fifth annual Oak Ridge Back-to-School Fair to be held from 12-2 p.m. Saturday, July 26, at the Scarboro Community Center gym, 148 Carver Ave. Since giving free physicals by the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge was such a hit last year, its staff decided to hold a clinic again at the Oak Ridge Preschool, 157 Carver Ave., from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., also on July 26 -- before and throughout the Back-to-School Fair, which will be held across the street. For additional information, go to the Free Medical Center's website: That afternoon, the Back-to-School Fair will be held at the Scarboro Community Center. Many information tables will be available with useful information and items to give away. These tables will be staffed by representatives from the Robertsville - and Jefferson middle schools, the Oak Ridge High School, the elementary schools, the Oak Ridge Preschool, and the Anderson County Schools. The Oak Ridge Schools' Family Resource staff will be there to greet people. To be eligible for gift cards provided at the Back-to School event, parents must sign in at the front table when they enter the gymnasium. The first five parents, who come with their children, will receive a gift card that will be distributed after the main program. They must be present when their names are announced to receive these gift cards, according to a news release. A free, hot-dog meal from Mary Lou's Food Truck will also be available for everyone, as will cookies from the DoubleTree Hotel. School supplies and many other giveaways will be provided by numerous groups and businesses, including UCOR, the Atomic Lodge 1301, the Daughters of Elks 1384, the Oak Ridge Police Department, Weaver Consulting, and more. The Oak Ridge/Anderson County NAACP branch will have its membership, voter registration and Youth Council booths available. Others include the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, the Roberta Bohanon Temple No. 1381, UCOR Public Engagement, Ridgeview Behavioral Health Services, CASA of the Tennessee Heartland, and Roane State Community College. After the opening presentations, parents will be encouraged to go from booth to booth, speak with school officials, meet new teachers, and discuss opportunities for the new school year. A 30-minute session is scheduled for parents and school officials to organize a Parent Advocacy Group, to be held in a room just off of the gymnasium. This group will then hold quarterly meetings throughout the year. The Back-to-School Fair was initially suggested by parents to Rose Weaver, NAACP education chair, to increase engagement of the Scarboro Community with school officials. As a result, successful events have been held in the previous four years. 'With the current federal funding cuts, the school fair meets a growing need in providing free medical exams and school supplies for students throughout the city and county,' Weaver said in the news release. The NAACP Education Committee's mission is to make it possible that each student in Oak Ridge/Anderson County has equal access to generally available educational opportunities so that they, and all assisting parents, have the necessary tools to prepare and direct these precious students towards successful careers. 'This event was created from input from parents in the Scarboro Community and the City Hall Precinct. We wanted to ensure that information on educational tools, resources, scholarships, and internship opportunities is provided to parents at the beginning of the year,' said Weaver. Copies of a recently updated fact sheet, previously emailed to area churches, parents, and organizations as a resource tool to determine a child's career path, will again be made available. The Back-to-School Fair is open to all Oak Ridge/Anderson County parents and students. Music will be provided, and photographs taken for archive and marketing. If you do not want photos taken, please advise when you register upon arriving. This NAACP-event is co-sponsored by the Free Medical Clinic, the city of Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department, and the Oak Ridge Schools. Vanessa Spratling is the Oak Ridge branch president. The Youth Council coordinator is Renita Booth. Inquiries about the activities and membership of the local NAACP can be accessed by emailing the secretaries at: Mia Collins collinsmj494@ or Phyllis Alexander phyllisninialexander@ Branch meetings are always held at 6:00 pm on the fourth Tuesday of the month in the meeting room of the Scarboro Community Center in Oak Ridge, or at the Green McAdoo Cultural Center, Clinton. Zoom access is available. The public is always invited to attend. This article originally appeared on Oakridger: NAAC{ free clinic and Back-to-School Fair set July 26 in Oak Ridge
Hamilton Spectator
02-07-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
‘I'm so grateful': Norfolk teacher recognized for promoting diversity at rural high school
High school teacher Colleen Bator moved from downtown Toronto to rural Norfolk County 15 years ago and wasted no time in making her new professional home a more inclusive place. She started Delhi District Secondary School's first g ay-straight alliance in 2010 when a student approached her to be the teacher representative for a new club. That same year, Bator founded the school's Indigenous Student Association. 'They've both been going strong since then, which is really great,' said Bator, who teaches geography at the high school. She also serves as the culture rep and raises awareness of Black History Month, Chinese New Year, Ramadan and other important occasions. 'A lot of the work that I've done here is based on equity and inclusion,' Bator told The Spectator. 'It's important to me as a human and an educator to make people feel seen. When my students and my colleagues feel seen, they're empowered to be successful.' With Delhi being a 'very Caucasian' small town, Bator sees it as her mission to help all students at the school feel like they belong. 'Just seeing diversity, celebrating it, honouring it and letting the few kids from each of those communities in the school know that they're not invisible and they count,' she said. 'When you do that, you build really beautiful relationships with them and you see them be successful.' Bator's efforts have a tangible effect on her students. Delhi's high school has a sizeable population of students from Norwich, a community that has seen repeated acts of vandalism targeting Pride flags. Some Norwich students who commute to Delhi identify as LGBTQ+ and opt for the welcoming atmosphere at the high school as opposed to homophobia they face in their home community, Bator said. 'That fires my work with that community to protect them and honour them and make them feel special every day of the year here,' she said. 'Because in that town, where they're coming from, sadly that's not always a safe place.' To create a safe space at Delhi, Bator drives students to the school board's annual Rainbow Ball — an inclusive prom that welcomes LGBTQ+ students and allies — and ensures the Pride flag is proudly displayed at her school. She is especially proud a member of Delhi's Indigenous Student Association — Ryleigh Staats, who is Mohawk Turtle Clan — was chosen to be Grand Erie District School Board's next Indigenous school trustee. 'That is huge,' Bator said. 'We're going to be able to do so much great stuff when it comes to reconciliation and programming for our Indigenous students.' Bator's efforts to celebrate diversity and promote belonging at the school earned her the 2025 Patti McCleister Memorial Award. It is presented annually by the public school board to staff members who make 'outstanding contributions to leadership, camaraderie and realizing the board's vision of learning, leading and inspiring,' according to a press release. The award is named after a Grand Erie training and development officer who died of cancer in 2013. Fellow teacher Carly Vermeulen nominated Bator, who also guided the school's environment-focused Green Extreme Team for 12 years and supports future civic leaders participating in the school board's student senate. 'Both personally and professionally, Colleen is a tireless advocate for voices that aren't always heard,' Vermeulen said in a press release. 'Her classroom is a place where everyone is welcomed, appreciated and celebrated; and she is a leader on staff for fostering this culture of inclusion.' Cindy Smith, Grand Erie's senior manager of business services, was also honoured with a Patti McCleister Award for her sound financial stewardship of the school board throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to the digital era. Bator told The Spectator the award was a shot in the arm at a trying time for teachers, who 'work so hard' and 'get very little back' while struggling to reach students whose attention spans have been shortened thanks to social media and ubiquitous smartphone use. 'It's a little burnout, right? It's a hard career. A draining career,' Bator said. 'So this came at the perfect time. Halfway through my career and just to be recognized and have all the wonderful things recapped that I've been able to do with the students over the last 15 years was really emotional — and certainly does re-energize me as a teacher.' When not in the classroom, Bator runs Gunn's Hill Artisan Cheese in Oxford County with her cheesemaker husband, Shep Ysselstein. She said she felt honoured to be singled out among a crowded field of dedicated educators. 'I'm very lucky that I got that kind of recognition and it doesn't come often enough for teachers,' she said. 'There are amazing teachers all around me and I just happened to be one that got to be highlighted. I'm definitely so grateful.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Yahoo
Juneteenth celebrations start as honor unveiled at historic Johnstown church
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – On the corner of Haynes Street and Menoher Boulevard is a church founded by a group of Black Civil War veterans who moved from Maryland to Johnstown for work in 1873. It relocated a few times through its 153-year history, but now First Cambria AME Zion Church, 409 Haynes St., has taken its place on the National Register of Historic Places. A plaque showing the designation was unveiled Friday during a ceremony that began with prayer and singing among a group of about 50 people gathered in the church. The ceremony honoring the church also marked the start of Johnstown's Juneteenth celebrations through June 19. NAACP Johnstown Branch President Alan Cashaw said honoring the history of First Cambria AME Zion Church was a 'proper and respectful' beginning to the Juneteenth holiday observation. The men who founded First Cambria AME Zion Church in 1873 worked in a tannery in Johnstown's Woodvale section and worshipped in the loft of the tannery before outgrowing it. 'Our ancestors took hard jobs like working in the tannery and the steel mill for us to be in Johnstown,' Cashaw said. The church was added to the registry in April based on its associations with moments of historical, national significance. In 1923, during the Rosedale incident, when a deadly shooting of police officers sparked an ordered banishment of Black and Mexican people from Johnstown, the pastor of First Cambria AME Zion spoke to the community, 'calling for peace beyond the unrest and fear,' said Barbara Zaborowski, of Pennsylvania Highlands Community College. Zaborowski led the application process and gave a presentation Friday. Again in 1969, when a white officer shot Timothy Perkins, a young Black man in Johnstown, 'the church stepped up and called for calmer heads, and helped avoid additional violence,' Zaborowski said. Cashaw and African-American Heritage Society member Bruce Haselrig shared lesser-known parts of the church's importance as a pillar of the community. When Cashaw was a Greater Johnstown High School senior in 1969, he led a school walkout, he said – to the church – after the principal prohibited students from wearing dashikis, clothing important to African American culture. In 1984, Haselrig said, the church helped form the Johnstown Minority Scholars Club to raise awareness of academic excellence among minority students. 'It's always been a community church,' Haselrig said. 'The building is being honored, but it's because of the things that happened here, the pastors, the leaders, the families.'
