Men & Boys: "Just Having Fun" Day

In cooperation with a couple of other organizations, the men's group (ABC--All Brothers in Christ), will be having a "MEN & BOYS JUST HAVING FUN DAY" in Surgoinsville, Tn off Fiddler Lane (Across from Surgoinsville's Riverfront Park) on Friday, Nov. 1, 2013 beginning at 12 NOON.

Please announce this and bring a young boy/man so we can fellowship and have fun with them while showing them the wonder of God's love for them. All are welcome but we especially want to see/talk with boys and young men to show them that there are "alternatives" in life...in particular those without a "positive" male role model in their lives.

Rolax Jones (Persia Baptist) is the President. Pastor C. Roy Charles (ABC member & and Pastor of Hasson Street Christian Church) is our program/work coordinator.

Again, you are invited "to the River" (across from Surgoinsville's Riverfront Park) in Surgoinsville, TN.

Time: 12 Noon ---until ???


"fishing" --going for a catch
"free food & water"---for physical & spiritual feeding
"Fun"---fun and fellowship with and for all and to the "One" who is "ALL"


Small (f's) can build larger (F's), which can spell and lead to (FORGIVENESS and FAITH).


p.s. Please bring your fishing gear, if you want to do some fishing (it's private property)

Gents to Gentlemen: Princes of Personality

Kingsport's Princes of Personality have been crowned, and what a fine group of young men have been recognized!

The 2013 edition of the "Gents to Gentlemen Male Pageant" was held on Saturday, October 19 at the Kingsport Civic Auditorium. The event is sponsored by the New Vision Youth, Kingsport Parks and Recreation and the Taylor-Hamilton Insurance Agency.

Host of the event was B.T. Tarter, and music was provided by Witness.

Nobody was on the losing end this particular Saturday night.


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

In the age divisions, Mr. Cutie Pie (ages birth to 4 years) is Quest Jani Hale, 22 months.

Mr. Gent (ages 5 to 12 Years) is 6-year old Micah Hale.

Mr. Gentleman (ages 1-to-18 years old) is 15-year old Tyrick Hale.

Mr. Smile (all ages) is 12-year old Nelson Overbey.

Mr. New Vision Youth (5-to-16 years old) is also Nelson Overbey.

Mr. Photogenic (all ages) is 2-year old Tresan Hamler.

Mr. Wiseman (19-to-49 years old) is 40-year year Brad McKee.

Mr. Congeniality (all ages) is 7-year old is Preston Fullen.

Mr. Best-dressed Male (all ages) is 10-year old Malachi Williams.

Mr. Man (ages 13 to-18 years old) is 15-year old Tyrick Hale.

Best Total Package (all ages) is a tie: 15-year old Tyrick Hale and Quest Naji Hale (22 months).

Mr. Handsome (all ages) is 7-year old Preston Fullen.

Brothers Domingo Hale and Kimario Hale both won the Prettiest Legs Contest, voted on by the audience.

Finally, the People's Choice contestant, als voted on by the people in the audience is 6-year old Micah Hale.

Judges for the 2013 "Gents to Gentlemen Male Pageant" were Autumn Brown, 2014 Miss Kingsport... Mark Kilgore, City of Kingsport Bays Mountain Planetarium.... Angel Blye, retired Kingsport substitute teacher... and Tonya Fields, Eastman employee.

Proceeds from the pageant benefit the Kingsport Literacy Council and the Sons and Daughters of Douglass Alumni Association, Inc.

WARNING! Roads to be Blocked in Riverview Again

Heads up to anyone in Riverview right now, or hoping to get into Riverview this coming Saturday!

The Haunted Half Marathon is being run in Kingsport on Saturday, October 26th, and you may find it difficult to get in and out of our community for several hours on that day.

Please see the map, and click on it to enlarge it (Riverview is in the lower right-hand corner at the bottom of the picture). Once again, runners in the marathon will run in a circular route from downtown Kingsport, down Sullivan Street, then right on Wilcox Boulevard and under the railroad underpass, down to the Toy Reid Eastman Employee Center, then north onto Industry Drive and all the way down to the Netherland Inn circle, and back around under the railroad underpass, and back to Center Street.

There are only 2 ways to get into Riverview, and this is the same route last year, that caused Lincoln-MLK Drive to be blocked by police for runners to pass, and the intersection of Wheatley and Industry Drive to be blocked also. Riverview is the only community of homes to be completely surrounded by the race route, and stands to be the most affected by roadblocks at both of its two entrances.

Since the many complaints from Riverview residents about being cut off from the rest of the city during the race, Haunted Half Marathon director Hank Brown has assured us that race administrators have consulted with Kingsport Police about access to the Riverview Community.

That remains to be seen.

Here is a link to the Douglass Website story from last year.

If you have trouble getting in and out of Riverview on Saturday, please let your Douglass website editor know and we will once again, adddress your concerns with Mr. Brown and the Kingsport Police Department. Our email is: douglassriverview@gmail.com

Vic Danger Day in Kingsport for a Good Cause!

Douglass Alumni Board Meeting on Saturday

The Douglass Alumni Board of Directors will meet in regular session this coming Saturday, October 19th, 2013.

The meeting will be at 1 PM, in the Eastman Conference Room at the V.O. Dobbins, Sr. Complex tower.

We have important issues to discuss, so board members and interested parties should make plans to attend.

Douglas Releford
Board President

Remembering Vic Danger Through Your Continued Contributions

FROM OUR SISTER GRETTA SIMON AND TEAM VIC DANGER:


The fundraising continues for a very important cause, through the recent Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Light The Night Walk, held at LP Field this past Friday, October 11, 2013 in Nashville. The goal is to find better treatments and cures for blood cancers so patients can live better, longer lives. I'm asking you to help by making a tax-deductible contribution! Please use the link in this email to donate online quickly & securely. You will receive an email confirmation of your donation as soon as it is made. I thank you in advance for your support which will make a difference in the lives of thousands of patients battling blood cancers.
IN LOVING MEMORY OF VICTOR SIMON

I really appreciate your generosity!!


Click here to make a contribution


Thank you,

Gretta Simon
Team Vic Danger




ALSO FROM KATHY JONES

I'm sending and resending this!!!its the up most importance to donate to a great cause, it doesn't matter if its $1.00 or 20.00 is what comes from your heart!!those of you who know my son (LIL "VIC DANGER) Corey, his father is looking down from heaven and saying "AWWWW come on you guys lets get this done!!! his dad loved him and was one his great supporters, so dig deep down in your heart and think if this was your only way to stay alive is by donating a few bucks to keep my son alive, he is a great person and very loving husband, father, mentor and has more faith than I can explain has had to battle this for 30 years of his 37 years of his life, as his MOTHER those that have a child that has been in the hospital so many times , I have lost count, so let get this moving for he is so deserving and this is my truth and prayer that he be able to get a KIDNEY & PANCREAS TRANSPLANT, so he can enjoy the rest of his life, if you know him like I do you would love him as much, he is a good son, a great blessing that GOD has place on this EARTH thank you(HIS SO EVER LOVING MOTHER)

Click here to support KIDNEY& PANCREAS TRANSPLANT by Corey DeShawn Robinson

(KATHY JONES ROBINSON) Thank You!

Riverview Community Fall Clean-Up 2013

"It's good to see our community isn't as littered as it used to be."

Those words from a beaming Jeannie Hodges of event co-sponsor South Central Kingsport Community Development Corporation, as the annual Fall Clean-Up campaign in Riverview, netted only a few bags of trash and litter.  The total trash collection this time, was almost 2/3rd's less than it usually is.

"Usually when the trash collectors come back, they've got bags and bags full of litter and debris," she says.  "This time, they spent a lot less time out and that's a good thing.  We're down to about an hour, maybe 90 minutes of collection time."

Adding to the lesser amount of trash picked up, was the fact that not that many folks showed up to participate in the clean-up.  Back in the spring, 80 participants from the New Vision Youth to Kingsport Community Services came out to canvass the streets and alleys of Riverview.  This time, about 40 members of New Vision Youth were out, with only two from Community Services.

"I think even the kids were surprised that they didn't have to work as hard this time around," says Mrs. Hodges.

In previous years, the event was part of the nationwide Great American Clean-Up, but Mrs. Hodges says in recent months, there hasn't been much involvement from the national effort. She says, South Central Kingsport keeps it going as a service to the community.

Will there ever come a time when there is no trash to be picked up at all in Riverview?

"Wouldn't that be nice," Mrs. Hodges thought out loud.  "We probably won't ever reach that goal, but it's a good one to shoot for.

Meanwhile, the lack of trash allowed folks to show off their fall flowers.

"It shows that people really care about their community."

Ronald Lindsey obituary

I have been looking for several weeks for the obituary for Riverivew's Ronald Lindsey, who passed away in Michigan this summer.

If anyone has that obituary, or can tell me where to find it, please let me know.

I need to post it in the PASSINGS AND OBITUARIES page.

Thanks!

Editor

Waiting their turn....

Representin' Riverview

Farewell to the Flowers

As a consequence to the passing of summer into the impending chill of fall and the downright cold of winter.. all the local flowers and their pretty colors leave us.


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

To remember their pagentry and elegance, please enjoy this slideshow of the beautiful flowers in the V.O. Dobbins, Sr. Complex courtyard, from their peak during this past summer on Wheatley Street.

Soon, there will be flowers planted around the Douglass School state historical marker nearby.

As you peruse the splendid colors, be mindful of God's Creations, and how He always makes brilliant, and takes care of things He loves.

Your Douglass Website Editor

Douglass Alumni Board Meeting 9/21/13 Odds & Ends

The topics of bringing Kingsport Ebony Club members into the Sons and Daughters of Douglass, attending the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce annual dinner, and an update on the Douglass auditorium seats being refinished and mounted with plaques honoring past alumni, dominated the alumni board meeting of September 21st.

After President Douglas Releford brought the meeting to order and board member Ozine Bly gave the prayer, one little bit of unfinished business was performed.. the swearing-in of Recording Secretary Vicki Smith, who was absent from the ceremony a month ago. The minutes of the last meeting were accepted with a minor change or two, and the financial report was read and accepted.


In old business, after a reminder to board members to keep thinking about fundraising ideas, discussion began on efforts to invite and incorporate members of the Kingsport Ebony Club into the Sons and Daughters of Douglass board, as voting members with full powers. President Releford recalled a meeting years ago at St. Mark's Methodist Church, when the board voted to bring Ebony Club members into the organization, but nothing was ever pursued. Calvin mentioned that, as a board, we have an obligation to honor the Douglass Alumni body's business meeting mandate to bring them into our fold, and that he had been talking with Ebony Club member Trippy Deal to come on board. Trippy's primary role would be in the area of entertainment and concerts, because he has tremendous experience in that area. Concerts would be excellent fundraisers for the alumni organization. Ebony Club member Johnnie Mae Swagerty was also mentioned, because of h/er outreach with young people involving her group New Vision Youth. Several Douglass board members mentioned the youth group's volunteer spirit in the community, and how well-behaved they are.

The Sons and Daughters of Douglass, Inc. is a member in good standing with the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce. Members who attended the Chamber's annual dinner last year, and said many good things about the experience. The Board is already talking about attending next year's Chamber dinner on February 7th at Meadowview. The deadline to let the Chamber know of our intention to attend is October 25th.


Under new business, Calvin mentioned that the Kingsport Times-News had picked up the story on the Douglass website on the alumni scholarship program. The article he wrote, would be published under the "Sunday Stories" magazine in the newspaper on Sunday, September 22nd, featuring D-B graduate and football standout Brenton Leeper and how the scholarship helped him make ends meet in college.

One of the scholarships ran into a problem being credited to the appropriate school (Douglass scholarships are paid directly to the school's financial aid office in the name of the student awarded the scholarship), but Recording Secretary Vicki Smith is working to get that corrected.

Calvin told the group that, because of the tremendous response from alumni who purchased a Douglass auditorium seat to dedicate in honor of a loved alumnus, second and third sets of seats are being planned. James "Moose" Henry did a fine job of refinishing the first set, on display in the Douglass Community Room, and is being commissioned to do the additional sets of 4 seats apiece. Once those are done, the new sets, along with the current set in the Community Room, will be placed in their new home, just outside the Community Room, between the two double doors in front of the large display case. The dedication plaques are already done and are awaiting the re-finished seats.


Calvin also mentioned that talks are on-going with the city of Kingsport about access to the Douglass athletic trophies. Currently, they are housed in a beautiful display case inside the Douglass Community Room at V.O. Dobbins, but the room is usually locked to keep kids using the building's gyms from going in, and also to keep adults from using the room as a shortcut to the non-profit tower. Calvin says, V.O. Dobbins Complex building maintenance and Parks & Rec employees are extremely good about opening the doors whenever anyone wants to see the trophies, but so as not to bother the employees when they are busy, other ways of access are being discussed, especially on Saturdays when many visitors have more free time.




NEXT DOUGLASS BOARD MEETING: Saturday, October 19, 2013 at 1 PM in the Eastman Conference Room of the V.O. Dobbins, Sr. Complex Tower.

Blake Leeper Joins Komen in "Race For The Cure"

Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure is proud to announce that U.S. Para Olympian Gold Medalist, Blake Leeper, who was raised in Kingsport, TN and attended Dobyns Bennett High School is joining Komen Tri-Cities to support National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October) and is Racing along with us to raise awareness and to help bring an end to this disease.

Thank you Blake for turning your skates Pink and joining along with the thousands locally who support our Mission!!

The Susan G. Tri-Cities 8th Annual Race for the Cure, 5K Walk/Run event, is Sunday October 20, 3pm Memorial Park, Kingsport

Knoxville Community Leader Receives National Recognition

National Urban League CEO Marc Morial presents Knoxville Area Urban League CEO Phyllis Nichols with the national 2013 Women of Power award, which recognizes leadership, vision and commitment to civil rights.

National Urban League President Marc Morial, in Knoxville and Oak Ridge Sept. 26-27, presented Knoxville Area Urban League (KAUL) President and CEO Phyllis Nichols the organization's 2013 Women of Power award.

The award recognized Nichols' effective leadership of the local affiliate and her contributions to the National Urban League, the nation's largest civil rights organization.

"She has built a strong, effective and respected affiliate here in Knoxville," said Morial, who served two terms as mayor of New Orleans before becoming president of the National Urban League. "She has been a leader in the internal councils of the Urban League movement and has been a strong voice for affiliates that come from medium-sized communities."

Nichols has been with KAUL since 1994 and has served as president and CEO since 2000. The native of Kingsport, TN and her husband, Jim, a Realtor, live in West Knoxville. They have two daughters and two grandchildren.

Morial presented the award at a reception sponsored by Moxley Carmichael and the Knoxville Area Urban League and attended by elected officials and business and community leaders. Moxley Carmichael CEO Cynthia Moxley is chair of the KAUL.

The reception and other activities Morial attended gave the national civil rights leader an opportunity to promote the Urban League's Jobs Rebuild America program. The $100 million program is aimed at fostering economic empowerment through support of education, jobs and entrepreneurship.

"It is the responsibility of our generation to pass the torch and make it better for the generation coming up," Morial said. "Our focus is on jobs and empowerment. Young people need to participate fully in the American economy. I urge you to support the work of the local Urban League."
The KAUL is also involved in promoting jobs and economic empowerment for all on the local level through training, mentoring, career building and job placement, as well as education and youth development programs.

The organization manages the National Achievers Society, recognizing students of color for their academic achievement, and the Digital Connectors program that teaches leadership and technical skills to students.

The KAUL provides shoes and school supplies each year to 1,000 young people in the "Shoes for School" program and assists adults in home ownership.
In addition to meeting with local business and community leaders, Morial met with KAUL board members and toured the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

About the Knoxville Area Urban League
Since 1968, the Knoxville Area Urban League has assisted disadvantaged people attain social and economic stability and self-sufficiency through direct services and advocacy. The League works to provide a skilled and diverse workforce; to increase homeownership; to support economic and small business development, and to enhance education efforts for our youth. The Knoxville Area Urban League is a United Way partner agency and affiliate of the National Urban League. The League's work and results are evident in the lives of the over 8,000 people it impacts each year. For more information, go to www.thekaul.org.
For more information on the Knoxville Area Urban League and its programs, call 865-524-5511 or visit http://www.thekaul.org.

On the Hot Seat

I had the opportunity to be on the field during the UT game to watch my cousin Devaun Swafford play. I am so proud of him!!!

Dimingo Hale

Local People, Kingsport Organizations to Receive Money

On September 14, 2013, the New Vision Youth held a yard sale fundraiser at the Title Max on East Stone Drive in Kingsport to give back to the community.

The money raised went to local leukemia patient Hunter Housewright Leukemia Patient, flood victims in downtown Kingsport, and also the Friends/Neighbors Homeless Organization.

Making a Big Splash During his First College Football Year

Photo courtesy the Kingsport Times-News

Tennessee's Devaun Swafford (13) outruns Florida wide receiver Trey Burton (8) after intercepting a pass and taking it 62 yards to the end zone for a touchdown, during the first haof of Saturday's Southeastern Conference game in Gainesville, Florida.

Devaun is a DB graduate, a Riverview resident and a member of the Central Baptist Church.

Don't Forget Douglass Alumni Board Meeting This Saturday

The Executive/Working Board of the Sons and Daughters of Douglass Alumni Association, Inc. will meet in regular session this coming Saturday, September 21st.

The meeting will convene at 1 PM, in the Eastman Conference Room of the V.O. Dobbins, Sr. Complex, 301 Louis Street, Kingsport.

All board members and anyone with business before the board, are encouraged to attend this important meeting.

As the New Douglass Alumni Board is Sworn In, Prez Says, Exciting 2 Years are Ahead

"We do solemly swear that we will carry out the duties and the functions of the Sons and Daughters of Douglass Alumni Association, Incorporated, and we will strive as officers of the Executive Board to maintain decorum and to carry out the financial business of the organization for the terms we are elected to.. so help us God."

With that oath of office, the new members of the Sons and Daughters of Douglass Executive Board were sworn in for two-year terms. Executive Board members are:

Douglass Releford, President
Louetta Hall, Vice-President
Vicki Smith, Recording Secretary
Andra Watterson, Financial Secretary
Sheila Leeper, Treasurer
Thelma Watterson, Correspondence Secretary
Ethel Ruth Russell, Chaplain
Alan Watterson, Sergeant-At-Arms
Van Dobbins, Permanent Executive Board member in charge of Food Service/Hospitality
Calvin Sneed, Permanent Executive Board member in charge of Marketing and the Douglass Website Webmaster
Don Hickman, Permanent Executive Board member, Resident Parlimentarian

President Releford says, the next term of the board is going to be an exciting one.

"We have a unique challenge ahead of us," President Releford says. "At our recent reunion, our alumni body delivered a mandate to us as board members to extend the hand of fellowship and bring onto our board, members of the Kingsport Ebony Club Alumni Association. They are our Sons and Daughters in reality, and they are the future Sons and Daughters of Douglass in principal. It's way past time for us to bring members of the Ebony Club into our organization, to combine what they are doing with what we are doing."

Releford says, both organizations can benefit from each other's strengths.

"We don't want Ebony Club members to lose their identity," he says. "They can offer us a younger, fresher approach to fundraising and community involvement. In turn, the Douglass Alumni Association can offer them our standing in the Kingsport community, our contacts and our connection to the legacy of Douglass High School. It's a win-win for both organizations."

He says, the board actually voted to bring in Ebony Club members in 1998.

"I was looking over some of the old board meeting minutes," he says. "During this past Reunion's business meeting, our older members, especially the out-of-town ones were adamant about getting younger people onto our board. Our numbers are dropping every year.. we are losing many of our beloved members, and pretty soon, there will be no original alumni to celebrate and carry on the tradition of Douglass. The good thing is, the Ebony Club members already know about the Douglass School heritage, they were brought up in the shadow of the school building, and they know what its legacy means. We want them to be a part of the decision-making process that keeps the organization a vital part of Riverview and the Kingsport community."

Releford also says, look for a lot of fundraising during the next two years for programs and activities that benefit residents. Designated a charitable corporation by the Tennessee Secretary of State, and a 501(c)3 charity by the Internal Revenue Service, allows any donation to the Sons and Daughters of Douglass, Inc., to be tax-deductible.

"When it comes to our fundraising, we are not the type of organization that tries to get its name in the paper all the time," he says. "We participate in Kingsport civic activities not to get recognition or praise, but we do it because we are supposed to. We were taught at Douglass, to let our talents be felt, not flaunted. We are not the type of organization that is a publicity hound.. we do what we do in Riverview and Kingsport because we want to be good corporate citizens and neighbors in Kingsport."

Other business that came before the Sons and Daughters of Douglass Board at the meeting on August 17th, besides the Executive Board members swearing in ceremony, were more alumni wanting to purchase Douglass Auditorium seats. Louetta Hall said she and her sister Kathy Stewart also plan to purchase one, and the board updated the list of purchasers (look for a web story on the auditorium seat fundraiser soon.

Ozine Bly gave the financial report for the organization. New checks have to be printed for the new Executive Board members who are authorized to sign them on behalf of the organization.

NEXT SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF DOUGLASS BOARD MEETING: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013.

New Vision Youth Yard Sale for Flood Victims

New Vision Youth Yard Sale

"GIVING BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY"


Saturday, September 14, 2013

9 AM to 2 PM

Location: Title Max, 1112 E. Stone Drive, in front of Burlington Coat Factory

Money raised will go to Downtown Kingsport flood victims, friends and neighbors, and leukemia patient Hunter Housewright.

Items for sale: clothing, housewares, shoes, etc.

Inexpenseive prices and donations accepted.

MUST SEE TV from Chattanooga: 2 Girls & Intruders in the House

Two African-American girls, ages 11 and 12 in their home this past Saturday in Chattanooga, TN..
Intruders break in to steal items, and the oldest girl pulls her little sister into a closet to hide and she also calls 9-1-1..
They are saved, but the video will bring tears to your eyes at what was going through their minds during this terrifying time..

Every Douglass alumni and Riverview community parent needs to sit down and watch this with their children, to make sure they know what to do in a similar situation..

Click here to see the story from "Good Morning America" that uses video from WTVC-TV, where your Douglass Website editor works in Chattanooga

This story had the GMA anchors in tears, at the bravery of these two girls.

Foreman Getting Quality Practice Time

Malik Foreman of Kingsport and Riyahd Jones go through drills during UT practice this week at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville. (Photo: Daniel Lewis through Nooga.com)

See the Live Broadcast of the President's Syria Speech

Grandparents Day lunch set Saturday

• New Vision Youth in partnership with Kingsport Parks and Recreation and South Central Kingsport Development will hold its annual Happy Grandparents Day Luncheon Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the V.O. Dobbins Center Douglass Room.

The menu will include homemade hamburger soup, creamy chicken & vegetable soup, potato soup, crackers, bread, fried cornbread, desserts and drinks.

Special entertainment will be provided by gospel recording artist Uncle Jesse Battle from Atlanta and Jevonte Lyons from New Vision Youth.

There will be door prizes for the oldest and youngest grandparent, grandparent with the most grandchildren, and the grandparent who traveled the farthest.

Every grandparent is welcome to attend this free community event. For more information, contact Johnnie Mae Swagerty, (423) 429-7553.

"How Will I Pay for College?" One Douglass Descendant Takes Care of the Little Things First

"The Douglass scholarship, in a way, got me started."

3 years ago, Brenton Leeper found himself a Dobyns-Bennett graduate, facing a big dilemma. He'd been a stellar football player for the D-B Indians, and received a football scholarship to Brevard College, north of Asheville, NC.

But that scholarship only provided room, board and classes. It did not cover any of the little things that a student needs to make the grade.
 

"At Brevard, it cost $14,000 dollars a semester," he remembers. "The football scholarship provided $11,000 dollars of that, and a Pell Grant, covered $2,000 dollars. The remaining $3,000 did not cover all the books that I needed, and 3 years ago I was looking to major in business. Books were essential, and I just couldn't afford them all."

That summer between D-B and Brevard is where the Sons and Daughters of Douglass Alumni scholarship entered his life.

"That $500 dollars from the Douglass alumni, came right at the time that I needed it," says Leeper. "I had math that first semester, I had English.. I had all the basic first-year studies at that time. I had to buy 3 or 4 books that year, plus others as the semesters wore on.. Man, they were expensive. Books are an arm and a leg."

"That was $500 dollars I could just tell my nana (Mrs. Shelia Leeper) to keep, and not worry about trying to raise it at that time."

Scholarships of $500 dollars are provided to African-American descendants of Douglass Elementary/High School every year. Douglass was Kingsport's all-black high school until it closed in 1966. Since then, thousands of dollars have been awarded to high school descendants of Douglass alumni.

"The hope is that these young people will use the scholarship to, first of all, carry on the legacy of the Douglass school," says Douglass Releford (Douglass '64), president of the Sons and Daughters of Douglass Alumni Association. "By continuing their higher education, they are a reflection on the education their their ancestors got when they attended the school. The Douglass teachers always encouraged us to pass on what we have learned by attending college, and by helping today's descendants, we think we're fulfilling that goal."

All of the students who have received scholarships from the Douglass alumni, have used the money for its intended purpose.

"We've helped fund the education for descendants who went on to become doctors, nurses, lawyers, accountants, financial managers, authors, teachers," says Releford. "Some went into the military, professional sports.. it's a good cross-section of careers in our goal to help the students get started right out of high school. Money for the scholarships comes from our alumni, and from the annual Douglass Alumni Memorial Golf Tournament that dedicated alumni members Frank Horton, Donald Hickman and John Hardy help us sponsor every year."

Releford says, many African-American students have difficulty coming up with the money for college at high school graduation.

"Studies have shown that the cost of college is almost unaffordable for folks in the black community, and unless students get some kind of academic or athletic scholarship, parents are in the hole real quick. The cost of just books alone can be staggering. Our scholarships are designed to help students who qualify get over the smaller financial humps, so they can concentrate on the bigger costs."

"Every penny helps."

The Sons and Daughters of Douglass Alumni Board, considering scholarship applications at a meeting in the V.O. Dobbins, Sr. Complex

The potential scholarship recipent has to be the descendant of a Douglass alumni and that would be anyone who attended the school. The alumni has to have a current membership in the Sons and Daughters of Douglass Alumni Association. Recipients are required to fill out an questionnaire on where they want to attend college, then write an essay on their ambitions, and how the scholarship will help them achieve that goal. A selection committee from the alumni Board of Directors judges the applications, and the ones that qualify get notified immediately. Releford says, there is always a time deadline between the awarding of the scholarship, and the time the potential college student needs it.

The 2013 Scholarship winners are Devaun Swafford (University of Tennessee); Hunter Muller (Northeast State); Cyndee Morrisette (Maryville College); and Jessica Cherry (University of Kentucky).

Brenton says, applying for a Douglass alumni scholarship was a no-brainer for him and his family..

"Riverview is where I grew up," he says. "Most of the folks in the Riverview community and in the alumni association watched me grow up. They've always been there for me growing up whenever I needed encouragement. It only made sense that I apply for it, because they all knew what kind of person I am. Same for everybody else who applies for the Douglass scholarship."

"It's always been one big family."

Times have changed for Brenton Leeper. He's now at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, an offensive lineman.. the same position he played at Brevard. He also has bigger apirations.

"I'm thinking of changing my major, maybe to communications," he says. "There's a whole lot you can do with a communications degree.. every job out there wants people who know how to talk, how to get a message across and communicate with people. I've also been thinking about a Navy career, too, especially with the travel and exploring different parts of the world."

He credits the Douglass alumni scholarship with keeping his feet planted firmly in the right direction.

"It was a blessing having that to lean on," he says.

"It helped in the small ways most people don't think about."

An Historic Week in Washington: A Look at a Local Visit

AS WE CLOSE THIS HISTORIC WEEK ON THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON, THE NEW VISION YOUTH OF KINGSPORT MADE THEIR MARK ON THE NATION'S CAPITAL, WHEN THEY VISITED THE NATIONAL MALL IN WASHINGTON, D.C. JUST LAST YEAR ON JUNE 2 AND 3, 2012. THE KIDS ENJOYED, IN ORDER, THE DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL, THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT, THE WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL, THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL (SITE OF DR. KING'S "I HAVE A DREAM" SPEECH, THE U.S. CAPITOL, THE WHITE HOUSE AND HOWARD UNIVERSITY. COME WITH THE NEW VISION YOUTH IN THE SLIDESHOW AND PICTURES BELOW, AS THEY LEFT THEIR OWN MARK ON HISTORY


Created with flickr slideshow.

50 years later, Riverview area residents recall March on Washington

THIS STORY COURTESY THE KINGSPORT TIMES-NEWS

By NICK SHEPHERD
nshepherd@timesnews.net

  But one hundred years later, we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize an appalling condition.

John Harrison and Gerry Harrison, center, along with Sinora Lewis and Betsy and Jack Pierce and Linda Kincaid (not pictured) sat down on Tuesday to talk about the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington


These words were uttered by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his now famous “I have a dream speech,” during the March on Washington. Today marks the 50th anniversary of that march.

Linda Kincaid remembers growing up in the area while the march was taking place. “We have come to appreciate the significance, but I feel certain we weren’t as impacted as others,” she said. “We certainly were upset about the atrocities and indignities that people were suffering and we related to that.”

She said most black people in this area were trying to raise their kids and keep their heads down because they worried about keeping their jobs.

Growing up in Jackson, Miss., during the turbulent era of the 1960s, Gerry Harrison remembers the impact King had on the black community. “When Martin Luther King would come on TV, it was like he’s the black Moses, he’s going to deliver us,” Harrison said. “Everything that was going on, we felt like it was going to make a change.”
Harrison’s dad did not want her or her siblings participating because too many things could go wrong.

Sinora Lewis still remembers some of the appalling conditions she was subjected to growing up. She remembers drinking out of separate water fountains and sitting in a separate area in the bus station.
Even though she didn’t like segregation, Lewis wasn’t sure if any good would come from the March on Washington.
“I felt like all those people are causing trouble and we’re going to have some results from it that are not going to be in our interest,” she said. “I was just living for the day.”
Lewis also remembers feeling a sense of doom when the march was taking place.

John Harrison also grew up in Mississippi during the 1960s. He lived in a rural area and said some of the atrocities taking place in other cities around the state were not occurring in the area where he lived.
He said he remembers some of the news coverage of the march, but he believes some of the information might have been tainted.
“The news media that was prevalent that day, I don’t think they knew what was going to happen or the significance of it,” he said. “Their coverage wasn’t the greatest in the world.”
John Harrison said that media at the time would paint the picture to what that particular media outlet wanted to portray.
His father was a community activist, and any information the family got, they were curious about.

Betsy Pierce lived in the area at the time and was busy trying to raise her children. She does have one regret from that time.
“I didn’t participate in the march, but I wish I had,” she said. “The things that came out of it, it wasn’t what we expected.”
Betsy Pierce said she loves listening to King and said his message was great.
Jack Pierce remembers the crowd being much larger than anyone anticipated. All sorts of races stood together on the National Mall for as far as the eye could see.
He thinks that day is the first day everybody took notice.
“What happened that day was a wake-up call for the nation,” he said. “Well, not just for the nation but for the world to see that many people gathered in one place.”

Today, it is a very different world from when King delivered his most famous speech. Segregation is gone and a black man holds the highest office in the land, the presidency.
There are mixed emotions about what having a black president means to the dream King had.

“I believe what Dr. King’s dream was that there would be equal opportunities for a man, woman, black, white, red to achieve, if that’s what they chose to do,” Kincaid said.
Lewis believes the presidency is not about race but about economics, and she said that has been proven in the past five years while Jack Pierce believes there is a race problem in Washington, D.C. and some legislators are afraid to speak out and say the president is doing a good job because of race.

Either way, King certainly laid the foundation for President Barack Obama to hold office 50 years later.
“Everything that has gone for the last 50 years was making a foundation for where we are today,” Gerry Harrison said. “It was a vision, it was a dream, but to have a black president? I didn’t know if I would see that day.”

America certainly has come a long way since the March on Washington. But some recent actions taken by the branches of government have got some worried that America is taking a step backward.
“With some of the legislation that is being formed, to me it’s a digression,” John Harrison said. “What the Supreme Court did with the Voting Rights Act, some of these Stand your Ground laws that are being passed especially in the South, with Tennessee included ... if that proliferation keeps going, people will have to overcome all that just to be where we are now.”

Because politics has and will play a big role for minorities, Lewis believes that everyone needs to get out and vote and then vote some more.
What everybody agreed on is that education is important and the more people are educated, the better decisions they will make.
In another 50 years, when the March on Washington will turn 100, it is hard to tell what the United States will look like.
Technology will certainly be advanced, but will King’s dream of equal opportunity for all be realized?

Maybe the kids can tell us.
“Children tend to break down barriers...,” Lewis said. “It will take nothing but love, the love of people and the love of God to create the kind of environment that we need. I think those children are going to break down any barriers there is and even though we won’t be here, it’s going to be a different world.”

Following in her sister's footsteps

DB'S SHASHA MORRISETTE (7)GOES UP FOR THE KILL DURING MONDAY'S BIG 7 CONFERENCE MATCH AGAINST SCIENCE HILL IN KINGSPORT

Photo courtesy the Kingsport Times-News' Ned Jilton - njilton@timesnews.net

2013 Sons and Daughters of Douglass Alumni Reunion

Sons and Daughters of Douglass Alumni from all across the United States came home to Kingsport, for the bi-annual Douglass Reunion, sponsored by the Sons and Daughters of Douglass Alumni Association. The event was held on July 5th, July 6th and 7th of 2013.

Below are picture slideshows from the Reunion, plus links to what could only be described as a "hot time in the ole town tonight," AKA the Sock Hop, held at Meadowview. Aside from that, all the pictures come from the staging areas at the V.O. Dobbins, Sr. Complex in Riverview.

PICTURES FROM DOUGLASS REUNION SOCK HOP, HELD FRIDAY NIGHT, JULY 5, 2013 AT MEADOWVIEW


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Click on links below to see videos from Rowena Cherry taken at the Sock Hop

Click here to see a video from Rowena Cherry taken at the Sock Hop

Click here to see another video from Rowena Cherry taken at the Sock Hop



PICTURES FROM FIELD DAY 2013, HELD SATURDAY AFTERNOON, JULY 6, 2013 IN THE DOUGLASS BALLFIELD


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PICTURES FROM THE DOUGLASS ALUMNI BUSINESS MEETING, HELD ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON, JULY 6, 2013 IN THE DOUGLASS COMMUNITY ROOM



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BUSINESS MEETING MINUTES

07-07-2013

Members In Attendance: Wallace W. Ross, Jr., Andra Watterson, Louetta Hall, Linda Bly, Sandra Wilmer, Ozine Bly, Van Dobbins, Jr., Doug Releford, Thelma Watterson, Sheila Leeper, Ben Long, Rolax Jones, Pam Sensabaugh, Connie Darling, Cassius Ruffin, Pam Ruffin, Wilbur Hendricks,Jr., Ethel Ruth Russell, Mickey Watterson, Rowena Cherry, Crystal Bond, Brenda Bond, Penny Lollar, Tonia Draper, Thomas Bond, Roberta Lanauze, Denise Huffman, Joy Hankins, Bob Williams, Calvin Sneed, and Vicki Smith.



Meeting was called to order by Andra Watterson, President

Prayer - Ethel Ruth Russell



Minutes were read by Vicki Smith and motion was made by Doug to accept minutes as read. Sandra seconded the motion and motion carried.



Financial Report was given by Ozine Bly, Treasurer. The financial report is available upon request. Ozine stated that a total of 4 participants have been selected to receive a scholarship award in the amount of $500.00 each pending notification of acceptance letter.

Doug made a motion to accept the Treasurer’s report as read and Pam seconded the motion. Motion carried.


New Business/Discussion:

Question regarding financial report not being on website – members can request report at any time.

Email addresses are being obtained so that any information regarding dues, etc., may be sent to members.

Question regarding lifetime membership (which will be taken into consideration).

Doug reminded us that all tenants in the building have a Charter contract and that an agreement has been signed and this is a monthly expense.

Cassius & Pam Ruffin have offered to send a check for this service for the next 6 months (a total of $771.96).

Suggestion for an Event Coordinator (which is up for discussion at next mtg).

Scholarship Award to be donated by Wilbur Hendricks, Jr. and sisters in the amount of $500.00. This award will be called the Wilbur & Della Hendricks Scholarship Award. More specifics regarding this award to be determined by family members.

New Vision Youth purchased an auditorium seat for a total of $100.00 in memory of Lonnie Cox.

Others requesting to purchase auditorium seats were:
Thomas Bond & Class of 1968 in memory of Virginia Hankins
Roberta Lanauze in memory of her mother and sister
Benjamin Long in memory of his mother
Cassius Ruffin in memory of his mother and father

New Officers elected for the 2013-2015 year were:

Doug Releford, President

Louetta Hall, Vice-President

Vicki Smith, Recording Secretary

Andra Watterson, Financial Secretary

Sheila Leeper, Treasurer

Thelma Watterson, Correspondence Secretary

Ethel Ruth Russell, Chaplain

Alan Watterson, Sergeant-At-Arms
Van Dobbins will continue as our Food Service/Hospitality

Calvin Sneed will continue as Marketing/Webmaster

Don Hickman will continue as our resident Parlimentarian

Closing prayer was done by Louetta Hall, Chaplain and meeting was adjourned.

Minutes recorded & submitted by: Vicki Smith, Recording Secretary

Correction to minutes on 8/22/2013

MEETING ADJOURNED

PICTURES FROM THE WHITE EVENT, SPONSORED BY THE EBONY CLUB ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, HELD AT THE KINGSPORT FARMERS MARKET, SATURDAY NIGHT, JULY 6, 2013

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PICTURES FROM THE DOUGLASS ALUMNI MEMORIAL SERVICE, HELD IN THE DOUGLASS COMMUNITY ROOM, SUNDAY, JULY 7, 2013

The 2013 Scholarship winners are Devaun Swafford (University of Tennessee); Hunter Muller (Northeast State); Cyndee Morrisette (Maryville College); and Jessica Cherry (University of Kentucky).

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New Vision Kids at the Lincoln Memorial: Witnesses to 50 Years of History

LAST YEAR, THE NEW VISION KIDS VISITED WASHINGTON, D.C. AND SPENT A DAY VISITING THE HISTORIC SITES IN THE NATION'S CAPITAL. ONE OF THE PLACES WAS THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL, WHERE THE 1963 MARCH ON WASHINGTON TOOK PLACE. AS WE COMMEMORATE THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THAT HISTORIC EVENT, WE TAKE YOU BACK TO THAT VISIT

"I felt like I was part of history."

15-year-old Tyrik Hale admits to being awestruck at the majestry of the Lincoln Memorial, and the speech that brought more than a million African-Americans to its summit 50 years ago. The speech by the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that he wanted his children to live in a world where they would "not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character" signaled a new beginning in the civil rights struggle.. one that meant the time for that change in American society was now, not later.

Hale, a sophomore at Dobyns-Bennett High School in Kingsport, studied about the shift in thinking that came after Dr. King's speech, and it definitely made an impact.  He is the son of Jaquetta Hale of Kingsport and Sean White.

"We have covered the speech in school," he says. "It was important because it's part of Black history, and it's good to know that our culture was together at one point in time. It didn't seem that we were against white people back then, although some of them were against black people. At the march, all black people and even some white people came together as one, to make the world better for everybody."

Meanwhile, it was a different atmosphere in Kingsport and the Tri-Cities 50 years ago at the time of the march. Jill Ellis, who was teaching at Kingsport's all-black Douglass Elementary-High School in 1963, remembers it as a time when not much was said about the march at all.

"African-Americans were rather insulated a bit from urban living in the Tri-Cities in 1963," she says. "We almost had to go to Knoxville, Chattanooga or even Nashville to be close to what the national mood was. We would see it on television, and our relatives and friends in the bigger cities would tell us what was going on, but I never saw any active movement to participate in the national goings-on. The March on Washington in particular, was more of a private event for people, hardly discussed. There was a fear of the unknown in the black community, a fear that meant 'I want to see it done, but I don't know about getting involved.'"

"We knew there were buses passing through Kingsport on Highway 11W coming from the South and the West, headed to Washington," says Mrs. Ellis. "Even though none of us went, there was a spirit that kept saying 'here was a man, Dr. King, who was going to make a way for all of us. He seemed invincible.. he has no fear. When you called his name, you almost held him in reverence.. he was somebody. When we heard him on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, he almost didn't sound real, because his ideas were so futuristic. Unless you saw his picture, sometimes his words were almost unbelieveable."

 

                                                                  

Fast-forward 50 years.

Today's African-American youth can identify in the uprising in the community about civil rights, that took a significant turn with Dr. King's speech.

"I was amazed to stand on the very spot where Dr. King made his speech," says Tyrik. "I closed my eyes and pictured the rally going on, like I was right there in it. It was like, going through my mind, like wow.. this was exactly where Martin Luther King actually spoke to the people 50 years ago. I wasn't really nervous.. I was more excited than anything to be standing right there, when he made it sound like anybody can do whatever they want to do, if they put their minds to it. If you want to change the world, work hard and do what you gotta do."

"I was glad the kids got to see the spot where the speech was made," says Mrs. Ellis. "Although we couldn't go 50 years ago, the events held and sacrifices made back then, made it possible for our legacies to see where history started changing. Civil rights has taken several turns during its course, and the speech that Dr. King made on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, was one of those changing points."

Tyrik says, he thinks about being on that spot a lot.

"It definitely changed my life," he says. "It changed my whole perspective of the civil rights background in the country. It changed my views on race and race relations, in that I was right there on the spot where the rally cry first went out."

Dr. King's speech lasted less than 10 minutes that day in 1963.

"The whole world changed at that moment with his words," says Tyrik.

"Just being there... I felt like part of history."

Despite obstacles, Swagerty works to ‘feed the people’

  AN EDITORIAL IN THE KINGSPORT TIMES-NEWS, AUGUST 22, 2013


Over just the past several years, Geraldine Swagerty has provided dinner to enough folks to equal the population of the city of Kingsport. But since she’s been at it for about a dozen years, likely she’s fed enough people to equal the population of Knoxville.

And not one of them paid a dime for any meal.

Swagerty is pastor at Full Gospel Mission Church and Kingsport’s saint to the hungry. In 2001, she felt led by the Lord to “feed the people,” and with less than $200, money she had carefully saved even while her husband was ill, she set up a kitchen in the church basement and opened the doors for anyone needing a meal.

When the money and the food ran out, somehow, someway, she made do. She borrowed, she asked for help, she sent letters to this newspaper, and the Lord always provided. 
It’s called Kitchen of Hope, and if you need something to eat between 3:30 and 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, you need only stop by. There’s no menu, because Geraldine never knows what’s going to be served. That depends on those who give, not just food or cash, but their time.

She can’t do it alone — though many times, she has. But there are a handful of volunteers who also see the need, and they have answered the call to be of use to their fellow man. They help Geraldine out as best they can.

As Geraldine points out, there are a lot of folks in need. “Hunger is a big problem in Kingsport. We see older people. We see children. They don’t have anything. They need us,” Swagerty said.

But they also need you.

Kitchen of Hope depends solely on donations and is facing another of those times when there are more hungry people than usual, but fewer donations — and volunteers — to meet that need. That’s the only thing that gets in Swagerty’s way. She refuses to allow her own health problems, or these occasional downturns, to end this mission.

“If people weren’t so generous, I couldn’t do this,” she said. “I don’t take credit for what has been done. If Kingsport’s volunteers hadn’t come together to help, we sure couldn’t have done this.” Swagerty believes the Lord will provide, as He always has.

Swagerty makes every penny count. She searches for the sales at grocery stores, and when there’s money, she buys supplies in bulk. And especially this time of year as folks are harvesting their gardens and canning their produce, she’s ready with a blessing for any who stop by with whatever they can provide. “We take anything edible,” she said, laughing. “We’re not picky. We appreciate anything they might have extra of and will share with us.”

If you can help, please mail contributions to Kitchen of Hope, c/o Full Gospel Mission, 740 E. Sevier Ave., Kingsport, TN 37660. Better yet, stop by. If you’re out grocery shopping, fill up an extra bag and drop it off.

2013 Little Miss Vision Pageant

10 years of Attitude... Appearance... Ability.

The 3 A's are what guide the members of Little Miss Vision every year.

This is the 10th year for the year of excitement that culminates every summer with the Little Miss Vision pageant. The event was held at the Kingsport Renaissance Center on June 22nd.

Past Little Miss Vision winners were celebrated this time around, and proved just as popular with the attributes that won them the honor in their particular years.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

A side note to the pageant this year, and a noticeable addition, was the use of sign language by the contestants during introductions on stage.

"I like the way I can talk with deaf people," says Alise Ferrell, a 5th grader at Jackson Elementary School. It makes me feel good to be ready to sign language to someone if they're deaf. I can just talk to them..I won't just pass them by."

"It's kinda sad," she says, "because they can't hear anybody and enjoy all the things other people are doing. But it makes me feel good to be able to talk to them and be friends. It makes be feel good, because it makes them feel wanted."

The first sign language practice with the girls and the interpreter was hectic," says pageant spokesperson Tanya Leeper. "I thought, 'oh Lord, here they go.' But then something wonderful happened. The girls really took to it quickly, and picked up the basics. When they did that, every other part of it came just as quick. We have high expectations of our young women, and they boosted our faith in them. I even saw some of them signing to each other when nobody was coaching them."

"They are just amazing."



As always, judges grade the pageant contestants on their poise and grace before the audience. The contestants' persistance paid off, and although everyone's a winner, the judges' decisions were as follows:

This year's Miss Congeniality was Teya Merrill.

The 2nd Runner-up was Makiyah Blye.

The 1st Runner-up was Tamara Merrill.

And the winner.. Little Miss Vision, 2013 is.. K'Miyah Shaw. She also wins several prizes and will represent the program for the upcoming year in the city of Kingsport.

"Little Miss Vision gets bigger every year, because the girls have fun," Leeper says. "They enjoy meeting different girls, doing different things, going different places as a group. We're teaching them to set close when the pagenat and all the activicites are all over."

"Stay friends with each other and stay in touch. Once they journey on in school, stay close to each other for support."