Staff Report
The 13th Annual African-American History Celebration of Youth: Remembering Our Heritage is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Sunday in Grand Hall of the Donald W. Reynolds Center on the SAU campus.
The event is sponsored each year by Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church Youth Department and co-sponsored by SAU Office of Multicultural Services, Albemarle Foundation, Columbia County Community Foundation and CSNS Fashion & Men’s Wear.
High school seniors from throughout the county and surrounding area will speak briefly (no more than two minutes) on “What Black History means to them,” “How it has impacted their lives,” and “What person or persons (past or present) has impacted their lives the most.”
Some of this year's speakers are Lilly Edwards of Emerson High and Cameron Grissom of Arkansas High, as well as Kamari Christopher, Lillie Moore, Aviear McDaniel, Tia Bray, Makayla Henderson, Essence Grissom, Jamal Heard, Jadyn Clark, T'Kobe McDonald, Dazia Lee, Kieran Davis, Jazmine Heard, Deandre Burton, Shakamaree Roy, Anthony Thompson and Armani Bonner, all of Magnolia High.
Not only as a way of remembering their heritage, this community event has also proven to help some teen-agers face their fears of speaking in public.
The event will also feature individual and group youth talents, and a guest young adult speaker from SAU who stresses the importance of education after high school.
The 2017 special young adult speaker is Magnolia High graduate and SAU senior Gabrielle Davis.
Davis was recently named one of 11 SAU students honored for distinction in 2016-17 Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities & Colleges.
She is a political science major and has been involved in various campus activities including Sister-2-Sister as well as being a member of the Student Government Association, Honors College, Black Student Association, National Society of Leadership and Success, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, and the President’s Ambassadors.
Some highlights of Davis’ volunteer efforts are Making Magnolia Blossom, Special Olympics, Upward Bound service baskets, and Arkansas Childrens Hospital Necessity Drive. Davis has been awarded the Outstanding Service Awards for Alpha Kappa Alpha, Honors College, and Student Support Services.
She was an intern with the University of Arkansas School of Law during the summer of 2015 and the recipient of the William C. Nolan Washington Internship Endowment for the summer of 2016.
Davis also served as the 2016 Southern Arkansas University Homecoming Queen.
Other former celebration speakers include former Miss SAU Brigette Biley and Valerie Brown, along with former SAU African students Akau Anyiath, Coloma Obama, Valerie Maangi, and others.
The event is conducted from start to finish by young people and is by far the largest African-American History youth program in south Arkansas.
The celebration started in 2005 with only four senior speakers.
For the first three years, it was held at Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church, but quickly out-grew that facility and moved to the Columbia District Auditorium in 2008. The Columbia District Auditorium underwent renovation and the black history event was re-located in 2009 to Reynolds Center on the SAU campus where it has been since.
SAU Office of Multicultural Services has been a co-sponsor since 2009. Albemarle Foundation and Columbia County Community Foundation, through generous grants, have been co-sponsors of the African-American Celebration since 2011.
From 2012 through 2016, Walmart, Entergy, CSNS Fashion, Arkansas Black History Hall of Fame and individuals have made financial contributions through grants and/or donations.
A record number 32 seniors participated in the event in 2010. Twenty-nine seniors spoke in 2016.
The seniors normally represent school districts in Magnolia, Emerson, Taylor, Lafayette County, Nevada County, Camden and El Dorado.
However, students from Texarkana, Conway and Little Rock have participated in the past. More than 300 people from the community attend the event each year, including SAU students.
Area seniors who still want to participate can do so.
For more information, contact Bethlehem Youth Director Chris Gilliam at 299-0999.