What began with Carter G. Woodson’s determination to publicize and familiarize the enumerable achievements of Blacks, first to Blacks of segregated schools, spreading (slowly against the wishes of many) to newly integrated school systems and ultimately to society as a whole, is gradually coming into its own– through association.
It was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that once stated, “People hate each other because they don’t know each other.” And they don’t know each other because that’s what hate, separation and segregation are all about. Today more activities are being coordinated to unite people across racial, religious, societal, cultural, economic and all other man-made divides than ever before.
Among them was the exceptionally well planned, organized and executed Black History Month Celebration presented by TAP with the theme: “UNITY: Together We Can Change the World.”
The beautiful and spacious auditorium of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Downtown Roanoke provided the perfect setting for the near capacity crowd that assembled for the auspicious occasion that featured Honorable Recognition of five local deserving community figures (listed alphabetically): *Mike Crawley, first Black Chief of Police in the 94-year history of the Salem (VA) Police Dept. *Mignon Chub-Hale, outstanding City Public School teacher (retired); social and civic worker who served on the District Committee for election of Virginia Governor L. Douglas Wilder, our nation’s first Black Governor, among other acalades; *Calvin H, Johnson, former Roanoke Postmaster and sectional manager of 226 Western Virginia Post Offices. He also served in other strategic positions within the Department of Defense including manager of the Army Industrial Fund at the Pentagon. *Dr. Reginald Shareef, a native Roanoker and professor of Political Science and Public Administration at Radford University and Adjunct Professor of Public Management at Virginia Tech’s Center for Public Administration Policy. In addition he has published numerous journal articles and books; and lastly, yours truly, *C.A, Whitworth, put briefly for a lifetime of servitude–which from childhood I was made to be ashamed until realizing through the Baha’i Holy writings that the most noble of all acts to the One Almighty God is servitude, which comes best through humility. The weightiest example for me came from a statement by dust! “Look at me! I allow myself to be trodden under the foot of man and beast and considered the lowest form of matter! Yet everything comes from me; will return to me (in some form) and is totally dependent upon me in between!”
TAP is an organization initiated and designed solely for organized servitude distributed indiscriminately throughout the area and eventually throughout the world! Under the ubiquitous love, loyalty and guidance of present Director Annette Lewis, this Roanoke Valley is destined to ad new impetus to the word UNITY.
