April 21-27, 2010
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
Page B-10
No argument here, Detroit students are excelling in debate
By Scott Talley
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
F
The 23rd annual James Tatum Foundation for the Arts Benefit Concert at Orchestra Hall provided an eve- ning of musical excellence while raising scholarship funds for deserving students. To learn more about JTFA, please visit www.jamestatumfoundation.com. – Rogers Foster photos
Music and scholarships create sweet melody
The James Tatum Founda-
tion for the Arts (JTFA) pre- sented its 23rd annual Jazz & Classical Music Benefit Concert on Sunday, April 11, at Detroit Orchestra Hall.
Established in 1987 by
sance” composition by James Tatum performed at the begin- ning and end of the program in a show dedicated to uplifting the spirit of Detroit;
James Tatum along with other educators, musicians and friends, JTFA is a nonprofit or- ganization committed to “iden- tifying artistic ability in youth; nurturing individual talents in instrumental and vocal music, dramatic and visual arts, and dance; providing a public show- case for performances; and awarding scholarships to per- forming arts students for educa- tional enhancement.”
Proceeds from the April
11 event benefited the JTFA Scholarship Fund. Program highlights included:
• The “Great Detroit Renais-
• Percussionist Mubarak Hakim of the James Tatum Trio Plus pulling the elements of the pro- gram together with a continu- ous beat on the conga drum, creating an atmosphere of unity, community and together- ness; and
at James Tatum Foundation benefit concert
the evening of musical excel- lence included baritone vocalist Antoine Griggs; virtuoso flutist Erica Schiller; contralto vocalist Jeanetta Buggs-Carr, who per- formed as solo vocalist on the “Great Detroit Renaissance”; and performing poet Michael Van Tull who narrated Dr. Martin Luther King’s speech at the 1964 Berlin Jazz Festival, as James Tatum and the Trio Plus performed Tatum’s com- position “Jubilee Jazz Suite” in Variations I, II & III.
• In celebration of life, the stage was filled abundantly with talent- ed youth performances includ- ing the United Voices Detroit Youth Ensemble under director Damon DeBose; Zone Danc- ers directed by Crystall White- Winkler and Tammy Hawkins; and past JTFA scholarship re- cipients, Antoine Griggs (2008) and Erica Schiller (2003).
Other performers during The program also hon-
ored three community leaders: Ernest Rodgers and Benjamin Pruitt Sr., both educators and community jazz musicians; and the late Robert Shannon Sr., educator and JTFA pioneer.
The James Tatum Founda-
tion for the Arts has awarded more than $300,000 to more than 500 Michigan high school graduates seeking higher educa- tion with majors in the perform- ing and visual arts. More than 95 percent of past recipients are now professional educators or artists around the world. To learn more about JTFA, please visit www.jamestatumfounda- tion.com. For donations, mem- berships or corporate sponsor- ships, please contact James Tatum at (313) 225-9015 or
clejam@sbcglobal.net.
or anyone interested in learning about high school debate in Detroit, Raven Jones is certainly the person to speak with, but
don’t expect a short conversation. “I am in love with debate and teaching it. I
can talk about it all day,” said Jones, who teach- es debate and English at Life Skills Center of Metropolitan Detroit, which targets students of high school age who have dropped out or are in danger of dropping out of the traditional high school setting. “This is the best thing I have ever been involved with.”
Jones, a product of Detroit Henry Ford High
School where she was first introduced to debate, has a reason to be excited.
On Saturday (April 24) her student, Sarah
Walker, will represent not only Detroit, but also Urban Debate Leagues across the nation when she participates in the Arthur N. Rupe Public Demonstration Debate during the National Urban Debate League tournament in New York.
The Demonstration Debate, which is the
culminating event at the national champion- ship tournament, will showcase six of the top high school debaters in the country and will take place before a large audience of business leaders, policy-makers, urban debate supporters, educa- tors and students from around the country.
One person who will have an up-close view
of the big event is Malond Few, also a student at Life Skills Center of Metropolitan Detroit, and like Walker, he is a standout debater. Few and Walker will compete together earlier in the com- petition during the policy debates. They, along with a team from Northwestern High School, earned the right to represent the city at the na- tional tournament through their performance this season in the seven-team Detroit Urban Debate League.
“It is so wonderful to witness students who
have been kicked out of other schools now excel- ling,” Jones said. “What we have seen from our debate team members is real transformation and that’s overall.”
Jones says her debate experience at Henry
Ford pointed her life in the direction of Michigan State University, after attending a high school debate camp on campus. She is hopeful for a similar fate for her two star pupils after being con- tacted by college representatives, including Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, which was made famous by the movie “The Great Debaters.”
But the good news gets better, because suc-
cess stories abound in the Detroit Urban Debate League.
“It’s the best academic sport out there,” said
Kimberly Liddell-Love, who is coaching debate at the high school where she graduated, Cass Tech. “All the strategy that goes with playing a sport,
Charles H. Wright Museum to host ‘Embracing Our Mothers’ on May 9
By Scott Talley
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
The Women’s Committee of
the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, which is dedicated to education- al programming and fundraising on behalf of the museum, will host a Mother’s Day brunch on May 9. The event’s title is “Em- bracing Our Mothers.”
"We want to celebrate our
natural mothers, but also the women in our lives who have made significant contributions to our community," said Com- mittee member Debbye Hardin. “This year in celebrating the women in our lives and their works, we chose to honor six dynamic women from the met- ropolitan Detroit area.”
The distinguished honorees include:
■ Community Service: Sarah Early, Belle Isle Women's Committee
■ Corporate/Business: Karla Cole-Green, Cole's Funeral Homes, Inc.
■ Education: Dr. Melba Joyce Boyce, chair of Africana Studies, Wayne State
■ Faith-based: Tracey Ellis, Citadel Church of Praise
■ Sorority: Mardi Woods, Delta Sigma Theta, Inc
■ Politics/Government: Janice Winfrey, Detroit City Clerk
Legendary educator Cath-
erine Blackwell is an honorary co-chair and Detroit City Coun- cil President Charles Pugh will be master of ceremonies. The event is scheduled from 1-4 p.m. in the Charles H. Wright Museum Rotunda.
The Charles H. Wright
Museum of African American History is located at 315 East Warren Avenue in Detroit’s cultural district. Tickets for the Mother’s Day brunch are $45 for adults and $25 for children 12 and under. The program also will include live entertain- ment. For ticket information, please contact Dori Freelain at 313-719-8103.
WOMEN OF DISTINCTION: Comerica colleagues and members of the community converged on the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center for the Michigan Chronicle’s “Salute to First Ladies.” A distinguished group of pastors’ wives were recognized for outstanding service in the religious community and beyond. In total, 52 women were honored, with 700 in at- tendance. Comerica Bank was a proud sponsor of the inaugural program.
JOHN GEORGE, founder of Motor City Blight Busters, hurls the ceremonial first pitch during the Tigers’ April 10 game versus Cleveland. The first 10,000 fans received a Tigers 2010 magnet schedule courtesy of Comerica. A community partner of Comerica Bank, Motor City Blight Busters is a nonprofit organization committed to the revitalization of Detroit. For more information, visit
www.blightbusters.org. – Mark Cunningham photo
Community
Comerica
in the
PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE: Students competing
in the Detroit Urban Debate League are making their mark this season on a state and national level. On April 30 and May 1, the league’s city cham- pionship tournament will be held at Wayne State. For more information on the event and the Detroit Urban Debate League, please contact Holly Reiss at
hollyreiss@urbandebate.org
the debaters do it with their minds, and their voices, and their bodies.”
Desiree Fuller agrees, and she has earned a
reputation for never turning a student away as debate coach at Plymouth Prep Academy in De- troit.
“I don’t want to exclude anyone because we
have had students get involved who had not par- ticipated in any activities before,” said Fuller, whose team has had 12 members reach the var- sity level, despite being comprised solely of un- derclassmen.
In addition to Plymouth Prep, Cass Tech,
Northwestern and Life Skills Center, the remain- ing teams in the Detroit Urban Debate League represent Cody High School, Detroit Interna- tional Academy and Aisha Shule/W.E.B. Du Bois Academy. The best debaters from these teams will be on display April 30 and May 1 at Wayne State University during the Master Tournament VI City Championship. The competition will be held in Manoogian Hall from 3:45-8 p.m. on Friday, April 30 and from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sat- urday, May 1.
Holly Reiss, executive director of the Detroit
Urban Debate League, encourages the commu- nity to support these students who have made a commitment to excellence.
For additional information on the Detroit
Urban Debate League, please contact Holly Reiss at
hollyreiss@urbandebate.org.
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