Why do we remember the past? Why do we care about the Past?

We remember the past because those who cannot remember the past are condemned
to repeat it. George Santayana (philosopher 1863-1952).

We care about the past because sometimes the past is never the past. The people may
have changed but the social circumstances and conditions remain the same. We care
about the past which was once the prest because it affected our lives, our neighbors,
and our community.

On July 8, 2001, at home in Pine Bluff, I interviewed my mother about some of the
 events she remembered, growing up in rural Lincoln County, Arkansas.

The Big Tornado of 1926
I remember the Big Tornado of 1926. It was Thanksgiving Day. Grand mama Bluford
had me and Sister (Margaret) in the buggy. We went to Marzell Church. No one else
showed up. Just as we made it back home, the tornado hit. Alberta Banks' sister, Lovie
Banks was killed by the storm. The next morning, we heard that Mr. Otto Hall's daddy
was killed in the storm. He went to let the window down in his home and was blown
into the lake.

The Mississippi River Flood of 1927
I remember the Great Flood of 1927. I was eleven years old. We were living on the Diggs
Place, next to the Johnson Place (maternal grandfather's farm). Everyday, we had fish to
eat. There was a slue. We caught big grinners. Daddy stayed up all night, going in and
out, watching the rising water. We didn't have to move.

Murder at Grady
When I asked Mom: What is the worst thing you remember, growing up? Do you
remember a lynching? She recounted this event:
There was no lynching but the most shocking thing that happened at Grady was when
Sister and I were going to Grady School. Mr. Joe Gocio ( white landowner and merchant)
hired  some black men to kill Mr. Queeny (a black man) but they ended up killing the
wrong man (another black man, Mr. Willie McClinton) at Mr. Queeny's house. We saw
the dead body on the porch on our way to school. He was shot. This happened in the
1930s' but before 1935.

Mr. Willie McClinton's son and grandchildren, Dollie McClinton and Tommie
McClinton lived on the Gocio Place, off from Tamo. I don't know the outcome-
what happened to the murderers. They were called Mr. Gocio's Niggers.

The story illustrates how a powerful man could recruit or intimidate less
powerful men to kill another human being. There may have been other events of
this kind that happened in Lincoln County.  Similiar stories have surfaced.

UAPB Gladys Turner Finney Coin Collection Exhibit

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) Museum and Cultural Center
was established in the Spring of 2005. It is located on the campus in Childress
Hall.

The Gladys Turner Finney Coin Collection Exhibit was established at the
University in 2008. The Exhibit is on display daily during the Museum's regular
hours.

Frederick M. Finney (1941-2008) Chronological Record

• 1960     Graduated Academy High School, Troy, Alabama.
•              Enrolled  Wilberforce University, Wilberforce, Ohio.
• 1962     Enlisted United States Air Force, November, 1962.
• 1963     Assigned to basic training, Lackland AFB, Texas; Greenville AFB, Mississippi.
• 1964     Mather AFB, California; temporary assignment for school, University of Omaha,
•              Omaha, Nebraska. 
• 1965     Reassigned and discharged from Mather AFB, California.
•              Discharged from U.S. Air Force, December 31, 1965.
• 1966     Employed Reynolds & Reynolds Co, Dayton, Ohio ( factory worker litho
•              press operator), February 1966 - September, 1968.
• 1967     Graduated Wilberforce University, Wilberforce, Ohio, BA Economics
•              and History.
• 1968     Entered Antioch College Graduate School, September, 1968.

         1969     Graduated Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio, Master of Arts
                       in teaching, August, 1969.

•             Taught adult education (data processing, math, english & social science),
•              Greene County OIC, 1969.
•              Appointed Program Analyst, City of Dayton Model Cities Program,
•              November 17, 1969.
• 1970     Appointed Evaluation Director, Model Cities Program, April, 1970.
• 1972     Married Gladys T. Turner.
• 1973     Graduated Wright State University, M.S. Economics.
• 1976     Resigned Evaluation Director, Model Cities, April 2, 1976.
• 1974-79 Graduate student and teaching assistant, University of Cincinnati Ph.D.
•               Economics Program (1972-79).
• 1976-81 Private real estate business. Bought, repaired, rehabilitated, single-family
•                homes.
• 1978-83 Taught Political Science, Sinclair Community College.
• 1983       Cost Analyst, US. Air Force, Wright Patterson AFB (March)
• 1983-88  Cost Analyst reviewing & writing Economic Analyses for computers
•                and data automation projects.
• 1988-90 Cost Analyst reviewing & writing Independent Cost Estimates and Analyses
•               (Airforce parts).
• 1990      Cost Analyst Information Management Branch.
• 1990-91 Cost Analyst for proposed Weapon Systems.
• 1990      Elected Internal Auditor (one of three) AMER Temple 107, Dayton, Ohio
• 1991      Enrolled Regents College .
• 1992      Appointed Imperial Deputy- Computer Analysis, Imperial Council,
•               AEAOONMS (August, 1992).
• 1993      Graduated Regents College, University of State of New York- Degree in
•               Operations Management and Accounting. 
•                                                                                           

Essix Johnson (1890-1967) Pfc. United States Army WWI (3843878)

Born April 20, 1890 to Essix Johnson and Jessie (Benson) Johnson at Grady, Lincoln
County, Arkansas. Occupation: Farmer

Place of Entry: Grady, Arkansas: July 29, 1918
Place of Separation: Camp Shelby, Mississippi: August 21, 1919

Decorations and Awards
World War I Victory Medal
World War I Victory Button

He died August 9, 1967.




















Buried: Randolph Cemetery, Grady, Lincoln, Arkansas, August 13, 1967.

                                                  

Ebbie Bluford (1893-1968) Pfc. United States Army World War I (2125928)

Born in Tallulah, Madison Parish, Louisiana February 27, 1893 to George and Savannah
(Dozier) Bluford. Occupation: Farmer. He entered the Army in Pine Bluff, Arkansas on
February 26, 1918.

 

Assignment/Location:
He served with the 162nd Depot Brigade;Company D, 310th Labor Battalion
                                282nd Headquarters, Camp Lee, Virginia
                                Camp Pike, Arkansas, Arkansas 12th Company 3rd Training Battalion

Decorations and Awards: World War I Victory Medal with France
                                           Service Clasp
                                           World War I Victory Button (bronze)

Place of Separation: Camp Lee, Virginia, November 26, 1919.

He died in Pine Bluff, Jefferson County, Arkansas on August 30, 1968.
Burial: Saint Ollie Baptist Church Cemetery, September 8, 1968
             Meroney, Lincoln County, Arkansas

Rallying with President Barack Obama

Rallying with President Barack Obama is a historic event. One of approximately
9500 people, I waited nearly four hours for Vice-President Joe Biden's ten minute
introduction and President Obama's twenty minute speech.

The Dayton 2012 Rally with the President and Vice-President was an unexpected
surprise. It was President Obama first Dayton campaign visit and his first Ohio
visit with Vice-President Biden. First Lady Michelle Obama had made an earlier
visit in July at the Dayton Convention Center. Vice-President Biden had visited
Wright State University, September 12th. Ohio is considered an important swing
state to win in the upcoming Presidential Election.

It was a gorgeous autumn day, 78 degress, in beautiful Triangle Park. The mood
and atmosphere of the crowd was upbeat, exhilarating, full of positive energy of
hope and faith, and love for the President. I have seen three previous U.S. Presidents
(Carter, Clinton, George W. Bush), but to see an African-American President is
perhaps a once in a life time experience.

My red ticket allowed me to enter easily, avoid the long lines. I sat in the ADA
seating section. I observed the Paramedics attending a number of people, throughout
the wait, who were standing in a gated section directly in front of me. I was favored
with a ride and pick up at the Park's entrance by my friend, Gwen, avoiding the
long walk where the car was parked.

The day before, I spent three and a half hours helping pass out Rally tickets at the
Trotwood Obama Office, Organizing for America, 4815 Salem Avenue, the old
Rex Appliances location.

The Presient defended his presidential record with barbs and zingers about his
presidential challenger, Governor Mitt Romney.  Good News Ohio! I have
saved the Auto Industry, 1 out of 8 Ohio jobs, eliminated pre-existent conditions
for health insurance. My goal is to keep the American people safe: decimated
Al Qaeda, brought Osama Ben Laden to justice, ending the war in Afghanistan
and nation building in Ohio. Cut taxes for the middle class and small businesses,
repealed Don't ask, Don't tell. Our stock market is on the rebound. Our heroes
are coming home.

I would like to hear both candidate' s plans to address the issue of poverty and
inequality. Many are quite concerned about the latest 7.8% unemployment rate
report. The unemployment rate for African-American males is 14.2%. Poverty
diminishes the person and lack of a meaningful job leads to a breakdown in the
moral and social fabric of the community. Leadership and advocacy voices on
this issue have been muted.

In 2008, I volunteered for neighborhood and telephone canvassing prospective
voters through the Trotwood Democratic Club Office. Since August 29, 2012
I have volunteered at the Organizing for America Office  on Mondays.
My duties have included telephone canvassing and recruitment
calls for volunteers. When I learned there was a need for "Beds for Barack,"
I recruited  friends and fellow church members to provide housing for volunteers
coming to Dayton to Get Out The Vote. I was pleased when a fellow church
member housed two young people from Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr.,
Washington, D.C. Office. I have been impressed with the young people who
staffed the Organizing for America Office, Shanika, Steven, Monica, Hamidi.

The American Dream

The 2012 Republican National Convention and Democratic National Convention showcased
speaker after speaker who recounted and celebrated their American Dream. Their inspiring
stories prompted me to reflect on my family American Dream.

The American Dream is about liberty, inalienable rights, the pursuit of happiness. "If you were
white willing to work, you stood a chance of transcending the circumstances of your father
and his father." The status of your birth did not determine your future.

My parents were ordinary people. My mother was eighteen when I was born; my father
twenty-one. It was the middle of the Great Depression. Neither had a high school education.
They were tenant farmers. They were young, optimistic, resilient, and hardworking in
the face of extraordinary obstacles of Jim Crow. Everyone did not get a fair chance. Neither
were the rules fair, especially for African-Americans. It would take the Civil Rights Revolution
to improve opportunities, justice, and a chance for the American Dream.

My parents became part of the labor class of World War II. My mother worked as a munitions
handler at the Pine Bluff Army Arsenal (bomb assembly). My father laid railroad tires
at the same facility before going to work thirty years as a stowman for the St Louis
Southwestern Railway, the Cotton Belt.

My parents' American Dream was to see an end to Jim Crow, a living wage job to take
care of their family, an education for their daughter, a home of their own, and an
automobile.

My parents were extraordinary in their sacrifice for an education for me. They valued
education, believed it was the pathway to a better life, and held intrinsic attributes,
something no one could take away from you. In the fourth grade they enrolled me in
in St. Peter's Catholic School. They paid tuition and bought books for two daughters.
At seventeen, I graduated from J. C. Corbin High School, the laborotory school of
AM&N College, and entered A.M&N (now the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff).
My parents paid all tuition, collegiate fees, and books. For four years, I drove their car
five days a week to commute to campus. They provided the gas, maintenance and a
daily monetary allowance while providing for my basic needs, food, housing, clothing,
and health care. They paid the fees for me to join a sorority.

At the time, there were no Pell Grants or Federal Student Loan Program. My parents
were committed to my college education "as long as she wants to go." They expected
me to do my part. I was diligent in my studies, not to disappoint or let them down. I
graduated in four years with a BA degree in Sociology in 1957. That same year, I
received a Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation grant to pursue the Master of Social
Work degree at Atlanta University (now Whitney M. Young, Jr. School of Social Work).

I am forever grateful for my parents' sacrifices for the gift of a college education that
put me on the pathway to my American Dream. I am forever grateful for the government's
investment in my graduate education which enabled my professional education as a social
worker to be realized.

I am forever grateful to the change agents, the Civil Rights warriors, known and unknown,
who believed that the chance for the American Dream should be extended to all Americans.

Source:
Gladys Turner Finney Recollections
The History Of The American Dream: Is it still real? Time Magazine, June 2, 2012.

Final Resting Place of Professor Joseph Carter Corbin Discovered

The final resting place of Professor Joseph Carter Corbin, State Superintendent of public
education in Arkansas during Reconstruction and founder of the University of Arkansas
at Pine Bluff, seemed lost to history until now.

Professor Corbin died January 9, 1911 in Pine Bluff. The Pine Bluff Daily Graphics and
Pine Bluff Commercial reported he was "to be buried in Chicago," but did not identify
place of interment.

A death certificate would normally provide this information but was non-existent for
Corbin because he died before statewide registration of deaths in Arkansas.

For four years, I have been pursuing Corbin's final resting place until
I changed my focus to Corbin's wife, Mary Jane Corbin, and was successful.

Mary Jane Corbin died in Chicago March 28, 1910 and was buried at Waldheim
(German Cemetery, now Forest Home), Forest Park, Illinois. Professor Corbin grave-
site is also there, along with John W. Corbin and Will Corbin. Professor Corbin was
interred January 14, 1911.

My goal is to have a headstone and historical marker placed at the
gravesite to commemorate this extraordinaire educator.


Footnote  My thanks to the following contributors to this research: Linda McDowell,
                Tony Burroughs, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, Frank Coben, Elveria Goolsby.

Keys to a Happy Life, Part II, Keys 6-10

Key #6 is Friendship. People with friends are happier. Social relationships are important.
My friends are gifts from God. They rejoice with me during good times and help me with
love, prayer, and emotional support during bad times. A true friend cannot be bought with
money. To have a friend one must be a friend. My friends have offered pearls of wisdom
and a listening ear. They have spoken truth to me in love, melted denial and resistance,
and enabled my personal growth.

Key #7 is Marriage. Married people are happier than singles. A good marriage can have
permanent positive effect. And, people who are less happy to begin with can get a
bigger boost from marriage. According to the Bible, he who finds a mate finds a
good thing. From the creation of Adam, God declared it was not good for man to
live alone. And for such, a man shall leave his mother, a woman leave her home, and
the two become as one. In this miraculous unity, the giving of their lives and love to
each other, is manifest. I have found marriage to be a process of becoming, not of
completion or perfection.

Key # 8 is Faith. Faith is linked to happiness because faith gives meaning and purpose
to life. How can I live without faith? It was my rural, ancestral Baptist Church, in
Arkansas, that impregnated me with the concept of faith in God. This faith helped me
survive the caste system of segregation in the south. This body of believers was the
first to believe in me, along with my family, that I could achieve and succeed. They
had faith in me. The Bible teaches that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the
evidence of things not seen, And, without faith, it is impossible to please God,
through Jesus Christ who is the author and finisher of our faith. My faith has been
an anchor amidst the storms of life, bringing comfort in times of grief, encourgagement
when discouraged, and patience out of impatience. When my parents died, I relied
on God's pre-assurance that those who mourned shall be comforted. And so it was.

Key # 9 is Charity. People who give to others are happier because giving makes
you feel good and happy people are more likely to give. Kahlil Gibran, the Lebanese
poet, wrote you give but little when you give of your money; it's when you give of
yourself you truly give. Giving of myself and money produces happy feelings within
me.When I volunteer at the nursing home or perform a random act of kindness
God smiles upon the world.

Key #10 is Age. Older people are happier because they worry about less and set
goals within their limits. Worrying less and setting attainable goals is a lesson all
ages in our society can learn and benefit from. While stress is a normal part of
life, flexibility in the face of change and challenge leads to creative control.

Since I have only one brief life, it would be good to get it right, to discern
my purpose. Rick Warren in the Purpose Driven Life leaves no doubt. I am not here
to pursue happiness or ego-satisfaction in terms of the ten keys cited in the Reader's
Digest's article. But to live a life of intention in relationship to God. Without God,
writes Warren, life has no purpose and without purpose life has no meaning.
Without meaning, life has no significance or hope. We are messengers of God's
love and purpose in the world.

Another way of discerning our purpose is put forth in the Road Less Traveled by
M. Scott Peck: As new life forms of God, we are able to influence the world
through our conscious decisions and become agents of God's grace, working
on  his behalf, and creating love.

The seed for my purpose was planted, while a child, visiting the sick and dying
with my mother. The seed would germinate into a career as a medical social worker.
The life of service to others, especially working with the terminally ill, in Hospice,
has brought the most fufillment as God's agent.  It is this experience that taught me
how to be a  compassionate servant, walking each day with the person in their
stages of approaching death, their grief, physical and psychological pain, without
losing hope. But steadfast that death is just a door into eternity.

Psychologist Abraham Maslow speaks to our hierarchy of needs and tie our purpose
into meeting these needs from basic security to self-actualization. Erik Erikson
writes about developmental tasks to be mastered during each psycho-social stage
of growth. Maslow and Erikson are not in conflict in helping us understand
ourselves as individuals. But when it comes to seeking personal meaning and
purpose, the difference between them and Rick Warren is in the starting place.
The psychologists start with the ego or self and our self-worth. Rick Warren
starts with God as the meaning and purpose of our life, and the premise it is
not about us.

My personal computer banner is Participate in the Great Symphony of life. That
says a lot about my desire to participate in the expansiveness and synchronous
of life. As I write the final chapter of my life, I should like to look back, according
to Erikson with a sense of integrity versus despair of a life well-lived and well-done.
I do not want to stand in the face of death and despair for the things I have done
or not done. Aristotle said an unexamined life is not worth living.

So back to my beginning question. Is a happy life, a meaningful life, a purposeful life
the same? Not necessarily. But it can be if we live a life of loving God and others.
It is not a life for self. But about doing good, ministering to the needs of others
as was the character of Jesus on the earth.

Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life has given me good directions for my
spiritual journey. The directions are believing through worship, belonging through
fellowship, and becoming more like Jesus through discipleship. I am no longer in
the fog about my purpose. I have a holy call without being a prophet, preacher,
teacher, spiritual healer. I am made for God's purpose. I have the gift of faith to
share, the gift of worship to glorify God. And, I chose the ministry
of Social Work.

Sources:

Erickson, Erik H., Joan and Kivnick, Helen G., Vital Involvement in Old Age.
New York: Norton, 1986.
Holmes, Bob, Kleiner, Kurt, Douglas, Kate, Bond, Michael, 10 Keys to True
Happiness, Reader Digest, March, 2004, pp.96-101.
Maslow, Abraham H. Toward A psychology of Being.
Miezejeski, Thomas J. The Meaning of Life, Brookside Books, Toms River,
New Jersey, 2002.
Peck, M. Scott, The Road Less Traveled-A New Psychology of Love, Traditional
Values and Spiritual Growth. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1978.
Warren, Rick, The Purpose Driven Life, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Zondervan, 2002.

Keys to a Happy Life, Part I, Keys 1 to 5

The March 2004 Reader's Digest cover story caught my eye: New Research---10 Simple Keys
to a Happy Life. The subtitle promised happiness within the reach of us all.

Ask almost anyone and they will tell you they desire happiness. But what makes for a happy life?
At the time of the Reader's Digest article, I had just finished reading Thomas Miezejesk's book,
The Meaning of Life. Also, in March, I joined a study group at my church on Rick Warren's
highly acclaimed book, A Purpose Driven Life. A lot of questions came to mind. Is a happy life,
a meaningful life, a purposeful life all the same? Herein lies my personal journey to look at these.

Since the dawn of civilization human beings have perhaps asked the question, Why am I here
on earth? Philosophers, theologians, and sages of every age have pondered the meaning and
purpose of life. But when the question is personally applied, I am in a fog.

Knowing and fulfilling one's God given purpose must be awesome and life enhancing. I
believe Mother Teresa and Dr, Martin Luther King, Jr. were among those who discovered
and fulfilled their life purpose.

At the outset Miezejeski challenged me to think of life as a journey requiring good
directions and the importance of pondering life's meaning for an appreciation of the
gift of life. I was optimistic that spiritual growth, insight, and revelations were always
possible. Surely self-study, self-examination, reflections would help me see more
clearly my spiritual gifts and purpose.

The Reader's Digest article cites ten keys the experts found account for happiness. The
article framed the background for comparisons of a happy life, a meaningful life,
a purposeful life, and a look at my own personal life and beliefs.

Key #1 is Wealth. People with money are happier. But once basic needs are satisfied
money no longer boots happiness but status become more important. Money buys
status and status makes people feel better. I have applied the principles of wealth
building on a social worker's salary. I was taught by my parents to always live within
my means, avoid conspicuous consumption or "keeing up with the Joneses."
Money has a place in our lives but not to be our master. The Bible tells us
where your treasure is your heart will also be. It is God that giveth thee power
to get wealth. Money has enabled me to endow my charitable interest, a social work
scholarship and peace fund through the Dayton Foundation.

Key # 2 is Desire. Desire is linked to happiness because people aspire for the good life
and material possessions make them feel good. The question is how much do you have
to have to feel good? Less than we think. We are buffeted by advertisements, our own
insecurities, and other external factors toward consumption out of a desire for
the good life. I have heard people say what money can't buy I don't want.
That is immature thinking. I might have thought like that as a teenager. When I was
older and realized that I had more than I needed, it was easier to share my resources
with others. Do not sacrifice meaning for money. Learn before it is too late that our
relationship with God and our family is more important. Simple acts of kindness
count. Love is the greatest gift and time waits for no one.

Key # 3 is Intelligence. Brighter people tend to earn more. I think of intelligence as the
sum total of a sound mind, not limited to the intellectually normal or gifted but the
property of anyone who discerns beauty, truth, and right actions. All of us or endowed
by the Creator. It is what we do with our endowment that matters.

Key # 4 is Genetics. Our feeling of well being and happiness is largely determined by
our genes. Our DNA makes us divine originals, unique and matchless. We are fearfully
and wonderfully made in the image of God, No one else is like you or me. Our happiness
set point, I believe, functions more effectively when we walk humbly and delight and
meditate on the laws of God.

Key # 5 is Beauty. Good-looking people are happier because life is kinder to the beautiful.
John Keats wrote a thing of beauty is a joy forever.... He also penned this familiar quote
Beauty is truth, truth beauty, that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know. We also
recognize that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Beauty in people can be appealing,
prideful and vain. But favor based on beauty can be deceitful. Trust not that which
is skin deep and superficial. True beauty resides within reflecting that which is honorable
and true.

Continued Keys to a Happy Life, Part II
Keys 6 to 10

Everyone Should Have a Profession, a talent, and a Hobby

           "Everyone should have a profession, a talent, and a hobby."
                                            Frederick M. Finney

A profession is an occupation or vocation which requires educational training in the
sciences, liberal arts or a specialized field. When I met my husband I had only one of
these attributes, a profession. I had a Master of Social Work degree. I did not have an
identifiable hobby or talent.

My search for a hobby led me to explore collectables, elephant figurines, bells
and women handkerchiefs. After collecting a few elephants and bells, my
interest subsidized. This was in the early 70s. Elephants were collected in the
tradition of my sorority. Bells were plentiful and non-expensive.

Women's practice of using handkerchiefs was being abandoned for Kleenex tissues.
Handkerchiefs were pretty, came in a variety of designs, fabrics, colors and were
easily available and inexpensive at Thrift Stores.

I collected about sixty-five handkerchiefs but my interest waned. I placed them in a
dresser drawer where they remained. Then in 1973, I purchased my first U.S.
African-American commemorative stamp. It was an eight cent Henry O. Tanner stamp.
The artistic design combined with history captivated my interest. I had an interest in
history dating back to junior high and high school. Collecting African-American
postage stamps (philately) became an ideal hobby for me.

A hobby is generally regarded as an activity of interest, beyond one's job, primarily
for pleasure. Do you know anyone who has a hobby? Do you know anyone who
collects for fun? Has anyone ever encouraged you to have a collection? No one had
actively encouraged me to have a hobby, although my mother saved silver dollars.

A talent is a natural or acquired ability to do something well. There are a lot of people
in the world with extraordinary talent both natural and acquired.

My talent was acquired over many years. It was awakened in me through a college
course in English Composition which sparked my creativity for expression through
writing. While at college, I won an Essay Writing Contest. This gave me confidence.
But, I did not pursue writing until my husband's challenge that everyone should have
a profession, a talent, and a hobby." He certainly had all three.

Practice, encouragement, and support helped bring my talent for writing to
fruition, A profession, talent, and hobby can well-equip and enrich one's life.

Before My Face

"For David speaketh concerning him. I foresaw the Lord always before my face... Acts 2:25.

More times than not, I have failed to see the face of God through other people, events and
circumstances as I travelled the busy road of life. Yet, there are times I have caught a
glimpse of the face of God before me. But when I looked back in search of these times,
I found three I had taken time to write about, all in 1994.

Sunday, March 7, 1994, on hearing the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff Choir in
Cincinnati, I wrote in my diary, "I saw God today in the melodious voices of the
vesper choir. O, how my heart burst forth with joy."

Good Friday, April 1, 1994, on attending Good Friday Services at Sacred Heart Church,
I wrote, "I saw God today in the veneration of the cross and the symbolic act of the
priest kissing the Blessed Christ Jesus who died for my sins."

Easter Sunday, 1994, I penned these words: "Today, I saw God-
In the unexpected snow flurries as I journeyed to Easter Sunday Service.
In the power of the choir and trumpets proclaiming Christ's resurrection.
In the innocent faces of the children who participated eagerly in the children's sermon.
In the eighteen easter lillies that decorated the sanctuary.
In the pulsating energy in the hand of Ruth Pressley as we held hands during the
Prayer for the Community.  In the beauty of the lyrics,
God give me a clean heart that I may follow thee.

Sometimes, we do not see the face of God because of lack of spiritual consciousness
or insight, inattentiveness to spiritual matters, preoccupation and distraction with
matters of the ego. I have been guilty of all of these.

In 1998, I went on a mission trip to Mexico with Borderlinks through the Synod of
the Covenant, Presbyterian Church, USA. A memory that remains with me is spending
the night on a cold concrete floor in a colonia with a family of seven who gladly shared their
little earthly possessions.  I was blessed. Love was all around me. The presence of God was before
my face.

Reflections on Receiving the Ohio NASW Region VII, Lifetime Achievement Award, March 26, 1997

Friends and Colleagues, Good Evening

I'd like to thank the Awards Committee for selecting me for this honor, the Lifetime
Achievement Award.

I'd like to thank all of you who came out tonight (Magnolia Room, Miami Valley Hospital)
to share in this event.

I'd like to pause, remember and give thanks to those who were mentors along my
professional journey who enabled my professional growth and career.

Special remembrances to the professors at AU (Atlanta University) and the then Dean
of Social Work, Whitney M. Young, who exhorted the students to stand on the side of
the poor and the oppressed. And who gave me early lessons in advocacy that I
successfully advocated against the professors' wisdom and decision to place me at
Duke University Hospital for my Block Field Placement, but at Cook County Hospital
in Chicago. It was called Advocating for the Right to Self-Determination.

Remember, when I entered graduate school in 1957, there was no Title 18 or Title 19
to the Social Security Act, which we know as Medicare and Medicaid. The South was
still a racial caste system.

But, long before I arrived on the scene of that hallowed seat of learning (AU), whose
motto was "I'll find a way or make one," I had learned by example, from a special
person the importance of standing up for your beliefs, and the consequences. That
person was my father, Willis J. Turner, who had a fourth grade education. And, who
lost his job with the with the Department of the Army at the Pine Bluff ( Arkansas)
Arsenal, during WWII, when he refused to be reassigned to the production of
yellow gas. And, was threatened with military conscription. March 31st will be the
eighth anniversary of his death. So special remembrances, Dad.

Special remembrances to the Director, Josephine Taylor, and her Assistant Director
of Social Work at Cook County Hospital who taught by example-who advocated
for compassionate care of homeless men, described as "skidrowites," long before
we had homeless programs.

Special remembrances to Dr. Marie Oswald, the Chief of Social Work at the Dayton
V.A. Medical Center, who gave me my first professional job, and was a mentor, and
rightfully referred to as the Dean of Social Work in Dayton.

Thanks to all those along the way who gave me organizational jobs, yes tasks within
NASW,  even, though I said many times, "Why me?" But, the tasks taught me the
importance of giving service to the professional organization.

Thanks to all of you who provided needed support and helped me along the way in
this wonderful profession of Social Work, which I would choose all over again.

I would like to address briefly a few challenges for the profession:

Credentializing vs Professionalizing
For new social workers in the profession, we need to be mindful of the importance
of professionalizing in the values of the profession, as well as credentializing. Social
Work is not a job! It is a commitment to compassionate service.

Hate Crimes
Hate crimes are increasing in our country. Thus, our national NASW theme, for this
year, focuses on Racial and Ethnic Harmony. Acts of youth violence and violence
towards women are major problems. Our challenge, as a profession, is to work
creatively to change violent acts into peaceful interaction and relationships.

Welfare Reform
For the first time since the New Deal, the Roosevelt Administration of the 1930s,
our country does not have an income policy which supports the economic well
being of poor children and families. Aid to Families with Dependent Children
(AFDC) has been abolished with the passage of the Personal Responsibility and
Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996.

Child poverty is a major problem.
Children are the poorest age group in the country.

Feminization of poverty is real.
A child's chance of being born into poverty is related to the make-up/demographics
of the family. If you are an African-American child in a family headed by a
female, there is a higher risk of being in poverty. If you are an African-American
female, you are four times more likely to have a low wage job. Poor women, poor
women of color, will be pushed off the Welfare rolls into low paying jobs. Rarely,
do these low paying jobs provide health care benefits. Already, there are forty million
Americans without health care benefits. And, these women will be facing little or
no assurance of child care benefits and a hostile economic environment where down-
sizing and plant closings is the order of the day.

Our challenge, as Social Workers, is to rekindle the debate about access and opportunity
to a liveable wage job, health and child care for those who will fall through the non-
existent safety net. Lasly, no matter what the temptations, seductions, we are not to
abandon the vulnerable and the poor in our society.

Willis J. Turner U S Army Arsenal Badge Number 59512

In 1942, my father walked off his maternal grandmother's farm,

near Grady, Arkansas where he was a tenant farmer subsequent

to a "dispute" with her following the spring planting. He

temporarily left behind my mother and I, saying he was "going

to town to find work" and would "be back" for us.

He journeyed to Pine Bluff in the adjacent county, the county

seat of Jefferson County, a distance of about  twenty-

four miles, paritally by foot and hitch- hiking. There, he took

up residence with his Uncle Jonas on Mulberry Street, his

maternal grandmother's oldest son, and soon found employment

at the Pine Bluff US Army Arsenal as a laborer "laying rail-

road tires."

My mother and I soon joined him and my mother later became

employed at the Arsenal, commonly referred to as "The

Bombing Plant," during the war years as women were needed

in the work force on the bomb assembly production lines due

to the shortage of men during World War II.

One day in 1942, my father, a big strapping man, over
six feet, was approached by his foreman with the

command to follow him. The foreman took him him to

an area he immediately identified as the "Yellow Gas" Area.

He told my father to go in there to work. My father's reply

was, " No Sir, I ain't going in there to work." My father was then

taken to the foreman's office and commanded to sit

outside and think about it. About two hours later, the foreman

approached him again but my father would not change his

mind. Consequently, my father was ordered off the base

an escorted by the "MP," Military Police. In their haste, they

neglected to retrieve his picture identification badge.

Footnotes:  US Army Badge Number 59512 was donated to

the  National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center

at Wilberforce, Ohio.

"Yellow gas," was a common term for a chemical warfare agent,

dichlorodiethyl sulfide, which was produced at the Pine Bluff

Arsenal. The Pine Bluff Arsenal was a toxicological center of

the United States Army.

The dispute between my father and his grandmother was over

her lack of recommendation to Mr. Gocio, local merchant,

to supply him credit.

him credit. 

Mom's Wisdom

On October 19, 1996, I interviewed my mother. Here is the
wisdom she conveyed.

"I turned eighty years old on August 26th. I was born in 1916 in Grady, Arkansas.
I was the oldest of seven children. My mother, father and grandmother were
long livers. They lived to be in their 80's and 90's.

When I'm asked, What do I owe my long life to?  I say keeping busy. I always
stay busy. I was taught idleness is the devil's workshop. But more than the
trouble idleness can get you into, it robs you of your mind and enjoying life.
Even when I'm not feeling good, I go outside and work in my flowers and
vegetable garden each day. It makes me feel better. It brightens my spirit.
I love to dig in the dirt, under the open sky, and admire my pretty flowers
and see things grow. Keep busy.

If you're worried about yesterday and tomorrow, stop. Live today. Eat right.
Eat plenty of vegetables. I put on a pot of green vegetables everyday and
call someone to share them with. I was raised on a farm. We grew our own
vegetables and ate them everyday. And, I still do.

To the young folks, I'd say be obedient to your parents and stay off drugs.
I also say help anyone you can. You will be blessed and so will they."

A Mother's Day Tribute to my Mother

I thank you mom for all the times you made me get up to watch the sun rise.
  I learned about the magnificent glory of God and the order of the universe.                                                                                                                                                                                                        

I thank you mom for all the times you made me help in the vegetable garden
and canning for the winter.
I learned about nature and the future which depended on the harvest.

I thank you mom for all the times you made me sit in church on Sunday.
I learned about God and self-discipline, even if the sermons were
boring, as they sometimes were.

I thank you mom for all the times you stood your ground and dared
to say no when my pleas and whines were not in my best interest.

I thank you mom for all the times you made me work by your side.

I learned to give a full day’s work, even if the wages were unfair.
I learned responsibility and the work ethic.

I thank you mom for making me the person I became.
You were always my guardian angel.

I thank you most for your unconditional love.
I was blessed to be touched by you.

Love is Good Medicine

                                                   

                                                    By G. T. Turner Finney

In 1991 Fred Singer’s book, Change Your Mind, Save Your Life, arrived in the mail. The book focused on the mind, body health-connection. What fascinated me about the book were the 28 Life Cards which captured the essence of psychological research into health and longevity and the Ode to the Centenarian.

       Life Card #12 is attached to my refrigerator door. It states simply:

Love your parents, Love your spouse, Love your children, Love your work,
Love your friends, Love your community, Love God.

In a romantic sense, we are inundated by the idea of love in songs, soap

operas, movies, and romantic novels. Love is highly valued. Everybody wants
love. Couples search for it through marriage. It’s like a quest for the Holy Grail. Yet, half of all U.S. marriages end in divorce. Does this mean the divorcing couples fell out of love? Did they look for love in the wrong places?

 To love is a tall order. Christians are instructed: to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, (Matthew 22:37) to love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:31), and to love our enemies. (Luke 6:35) Do we really know how to do this? Do we have the capacity? Where do we learn? What is love?

The American Heritage Dictionary defines love as an intense affection for another

person based on familial or personal ties. When I engaged a friend and professional colleague, Nick, in a dialogue about love, he shared with me his understanding of love
from a spiritual sense as “the giving away of ourselves to others without expecting anything in return. We have to see and feel love from within, he said. “Love is the feeling of the presence of God within who is the embodiment of love. Love comes from a spiritual relationship with God who first loved us. As a result we are able to love people as they are.” Obviously, my friend is speaking about God inspired unconditional love.

 To gain a broader perspective, it is necessary to consider other views and

dimensions of love. The renowned psychoanalyst, Erich Fromm, in
 The Art of Loving, provides insight into five objects of love: maternal love,
brotherly love, erotic love, self-love, and love of God. Fromm describes

motherly/fatherly love as unconditional love. “A mother loves her children just because they are her children, not because they are good, obedient, or fulfill her wishes.”  Brotherly love is non-exclusive love, the kind the Bible speaks of when it says “love thou neighbor as thyself.”  Erotic love is a “craving for complete fusion with one other person.” It is exclusive and deceptive because sexual attraction can be mistaken for love. To love someone is not just a strong feeling.

It is a decision, it’s a judgment. It’s a promise. Self-love is “respect for

one’s integrity and uniqueness, it is not narcissism or selfishness.”

 What is significant about Fromm’s work is the intertwining of faith

with love and the profound statement “he who is of little faith is of little love.”

and recognition of lifelong effects of motherly love on the personality.

Fromm states that one can distinguish among children and adults

who only “got milk and those who got “milk and honey.”  Milk symbolizes care and affirmation. Honey symbolizes an attitude of happiness, sweetness and love of life.

 The Bible gives us many facets and images of love:

love edifies, love endures forever, love casts out fear, love covers

a multitude of sins, love is patient and kind, love is the fulfillment

of the law, love is as strong as death. God is love.

Love is the greatest gift elegantly and poetically stated

 in I Corinthians 13:13 “And now abideth faith,

hope, love, these three but the greatest of these is love. Jesus

commanded his disciples to love one another as He loved them.

So, if we love one another God lives in us and his love is

perfected in us. (1 John 4:12)

Yes, love does have therapeutic properties and indeed is good medicine.

Children who grow up in loving, nurturing, and stable homes “usually

grow up to to be happy, healthy and long-lived adults.”

Researcher David McClelland of Harvard University has found

evidence that people who love and care about others have a stronger

immune system, and recover faster from illnesses. Other researchers

tell us that parental love is “preventive medicine and that when

administered in infancy acts as a vaccine to boost our self-esteem,

protect us against diseases, strengthen our egos against disappointments,

failure, rejection, and immunize our psyches against a world that

will assault us.”

 It is no accident that the Divine Creator placed us in families with

parental and kinship ties. Now suppose what would happen if every

child was loved and taught to love by example? Fromm invites us to

visualize the many possibilities of exposing our youth to people who

are loving, have integrity, courage, and concentration. 

  

During my days as a mental health therapist, I remember a psychiatrist

paraphrasing Sigmund Freud, “Everyone needs something to love, something

to do and something to hope for.”  The facts are love, work (a sense of purpose),

and hope sustain life. I would add faith described by Emil Brunner as the

origin of hope and embrace the idea that “work is love made visible.”

  To love is the highest spiritual experience one can obtain through faith. It depends

on our capacity to give up our narcissism, ethnic and racial prejudices, the

things that separate us from each other and God. It requires us to be open

to others, to grow, and to change.

We shouldn't get rid of Black History Month

The February 8, 2012 Dayton Daily News posed the question, "Do we still need Black History Month?" to its readers.

Here is my response, published in the February 16, 2012 Letters to the Editor, titled We shouldn't get rid of Black History Month.

Re the question, "Do we still need Black History Month?": The
need for Black History month remains the same as when Dr.
Carter G. Woodson founded Black History Week in 1926. There
is still public education funding disparity where black kids
live, racial wealth disparity, and under-representation of
African-Americans in history books.

Black History Month promotes and enhances, in a significant
and concentrated way, African-Americans' historical and
cultural awareness.

To end Black History Month would be a misguided act.
No racial or ethnic minority can leave the teaching and
dissemination of its history solely to others.

Even with Black History Month, countless African-
Americans had never heard of the contributions and
achievements of the Tuskegee Airmen until the
recently released movie "Red Tails." I suspect the
same lack of knowledge existed for Caucasians,
Hispanics and Asians in this country.

Yes, people are more aware today of the historical
contributions of African-Americans and that is
because of Black History Month. Schools in African-
American communities could do a better job of
teaching black history if they had more funding.

If Black History Month went away, it would be like
the darkness overcoming the light. Black History
Month is a wonderful way to celebrate African-American
history and the richness of diversity in America.

Reflections on the Girl Scouts

On March 12, 2012, the Girl Scouts celebrated its 100th anniversary.
This event stirred a few memories such as seeing the Girl Scouts Headquarters
in Savannah when I toured the city in 2000, and reminder of its founder,
Juliette Gordon Low.

A scout during my youth, I have cherished memories of being a part of
the first black Girl Scouts in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, founded by my
beloved fourth grade teacher at St. Peter's Catholic School, Miss Doretha
Daniels. This was 1944-1945. My sister, Jettie, and lifelong friend, Marinda were
part of this group. I remember singing songs that were foreign to me and
still remember to this day, like "Over in Killarney, an Irish Lullaby.

Who could forget those once a year awesome Girl Scout cookies? My
favorite became the shortbread. I have no idea what became of my
badge or pin. I regret there are no pictures. Cameras were rare in those
days.

I am sure I learned a lot of valuable life lessons, but it is the friendships
and relationships I remember the most.

Visited By An Angel

 Remember the popular CBS television show, Touched by an Angel, starring Della Reese, Roma Downey, and John Dye? I especially enjoyed the show because of its decisively candid religious theme. Angels from God visited humans on earth in a variety of roles. The angels brought hope and inspiration to those at the crossroads of life or facing tragedy with the message to "turn to God." The show started a fad of angel pins wearers.

 I had learned about angels in Sunday School. I knew angels served as messengers from God in the Old and New Testament. Sometimes, the angels appeared directly or in dreams or spoke from heaven. The biblical accounts most familiar to me were:
. the angel calling out to Hagar in the desert, with her son, fleeing Sarah
. the angel annunciation of the Christ child to Mary
. the angel annunciation of the ressurection of Jesus to Mary Magdalene and the other women

 I knew some angels were cherubims and seraphins whose role was to glorify and worship God. Others brought warnings and recompense. I learned that I had a personal guardian angel whose job was to guard and protect me.

 In 1997, when I retired from the V A Medical Center, the wife of a veteran gave me an angel pin as a retirement gift. The pin remained in its original wrapping until May 2004. Earlier in May of that year, I had attended a "Blessed Among Women" Conference where each woman was presented an angel pin in an Angel Pinning Ceremony. So, I asked myself, "When were you visited by an angel?"
Four experiences came to mind:

 During my sophomore year in college, my mother warned me not to ride with a boy, named Joe Lowery. Joe had returned from the Korean Conflict. One day, Joe arrived on campus, between classes, during Spring Quarter, and invited me for a ride. Immediately, on to Highway 79 North, Joe accelerated to a high rate of speed. The tires hit the gravel on the right shoulder. The car flipped upside down, blocking the highway in both directions. I could smell and feel oil, fuel, and sand falling in my hair. The impact of the crash had thrown me into the rear of the car. My first thought was, "I'm trapped, there is going to be an explosion." I pushed against the right rear door and it flew open. I had no injuries. My guardian angel had been on duty and protected me.

  While a social work field placement student at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, I took the El for a patient home visit. I got off at the wrong station. Suddenly, and out of no where, a white man rushed towards me to attack. Two white women pelted him with rocks and he fled. My guardian angel was on duty.

 On July 5, 2000, I was transferring betweeen flights at Lambert Airport in St. Louis, from the D
to the C Concourse. When I stepped on to the UP Escalators, people ahead of me suddenly began to fall backward, with their luggage, like a house of cards. It seemed surreal. My mind sensed the
danger although I was calm. I fell backward and could not get us. There was no escape. I thought I would be crushed. In a flash, a big man rushed on the scene, picked me up, and carried me to safety.
My guardian angel had visited me.

 The Bible teaches that angels watch over God's people (Luke 15:10). "For he will command his angels to guard you in all your ways." (Psalm 91:11)

 I also recall a time of extra- sensory perception of danger. The feeling suggested grave danger was present. This was in 1975 when my husband and I were attempting to engage a taxi, during the early morning hours at the airport in Monrovia, Liberia. We had flown to Monrovia from Nairobi. I said to Fred "If we go in this taxi, we'll never be heard of again." We got out of the taxi and reboarded the Pam Am plane to Ghana. My guardian angel was on duty.

  Perhaps, we do not give enough credit to our guardian angel or thank God for the ministering work of the angels.