GOSSIP FROM THE GIRLFRIEND GATHERINGS
Learning from YOU to empower ME !
Today is March 10th.
This is the official day to take a moment and remember the contributions of that courageous African-American woman, Harriet Tubman.
Here is her journey:
Enslaved American
Freedom Fighter
Conduction on the Underground Railroad
Abolitionist
Union Spy in the Civil War
We have come to the end of National Women’s History Month for 2014. My spontaneous idea to blog about some of the dynamic women in my inner circle was a success as I received a lot of positive emails from some of my readers and from some of the featured women. One even suggested I have a gathering so they all could meet one another as she would love to meet the others.
In reading the responses to my questionnaire from the featured women, I discovered some new insight into each one even though I have known some for years. Also, there were a few “dynamic” women (a jewelry maker, a doll maker, a couple of entrepreneurs and another author) who did not respond back to the questionnaire and were not featured. So, I’ll keep them on the list for next year.
For those who responded back and shared with us, a big “thank you” for helping to make March 2014 interesting month on my blog.
Question(s):
If you were inspired to act on a personal dream/plan by the blog posts this month, please share.
My first love of the written word is poetry and I thought it would be great to share information on one of the earliest women history maker – the poetess, Phyllis Wheatley. Born in West Africa in 1753, sold into slavery at the age of 7 and transported to North America, Phyllis Wheatley became the second published African-American poet and the first published African-American woman before her death at the early age of 31.
Phyllis was named after the slave ship that brought her to Boston and took the last name of her progressive master and his wife, John and Susanna Wheatley. These believers in education for their slaves started educating Phyllis and soon recognized her genius. Giving Phyllis’ work to other slaves, they fostered her education and by the time she was twelve years old, she was reading the Greek and Latin classics. Eventually, she started to write poetry on religious, classical themes and about famous people. However, she seldom wrote about her life or slavery which is still a mystery.
Phyllis traveled to England with the son of her master and her work was held in high esteem in British society. Here at home, she wrote a poem about George Washington, sent it to him and later met him. Of course, she experienced racism and sexism as these evils were prevalent in that time. Phyllis had to defend her authorship of her poetry and was examined by Boston dignitaries including John Hancock, the governor and lieutenant governor of Massachusetts. Her genius prevailed and these same dignitaries signed an attestation to the authenticity of her work and her brilliance. John Paul Jones called her the “African favorite of the Muses and Apollo”. Phyllis was emancipated via her master’s will upon his death.
Eventually, Phyllis fell on difficult times. She married after being emancipated and lost two infant children. With the Revolutionary War waging, Phyllis also lost her financial backers and her husband was imprisoned for debts. Phyllis was reduced to working as a domestic and caring for a sickly infant child. She became ill and died. Her last child died on the same day.
Here is one of her rare poems on slavery, written when she was sixteen years old.
“On Being Brought from Africa to America”
Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land
Taught my benighted soul to understand
That there’s a God, that there’s a Saviour too:
Once I redemption neither sought nor knew.
Some view our sable race with scornful eye;
“Their colour is a diabolic die.”
Remember, Christians, Negros black as Cain,
May be refin’d, and join th’angelic train.
Anyone who knows me will tell you that if you stand within arm’s length of me for more than 5 minutes I will strike up a conversation with you. This is how I met a most recent addition to my inner circle of wonderful friends – Kaye Crawford. It was at the 7th Annual Austin African-American Book Festival in Austin, Texas last June 2013 where I met Kaye. We were both volunteering at the book festival and shared a post as ushers for the attendees. During the course of that event we discovered that we shared a common interest – history. Kaye and I kept in touch via email, texts, and the occasional coffee/lunch when she was in Houston or I was in Austin during the past year. It was sharing those times together when I discovered Kaye’s expertise in history and she informed me of her brilliant endeavor to “inform” others about the contributions of Black Catholics in the Catholic Church.
Kaye is definitely a woman making a mark on history and I am proud to know her and to have her share with us about her endeavors in that arena on my blog. Here are my questions to her and her responses:
Please tell us about your curriculum platform.
My curriculum enrichment program teaches the history of inspirational Black Catholics from the early centuries of the Church to present day events, namely the history and canonization processes of the four African-American candidates for sainthood (Mother Mary Lange, Mother Henriette Delille, Fr. Augustus Tolton and Pierre Toussaint). The program also focuses on Our Lady of Kibeho, the Vatican approved apparition of the Blessed Mother in Rwanda. BlackCatholicHistory.com can be utilized in Social Studies, Religion and English/Language Arts classes. The material is accessed through the website (http://www.blackcatholichistory.com)
What audience are you trying to reach?
Catholic school students in grades PK – 8 and their families. It is currently being used in schools in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and the Diocese of Fort Worth. It has been endorsed by the Archdiocese of New Orleans; I am hoping to have the program in New Orleans schools soon. There is interest in Austin, Texas and Baltimore, Maryland.
What do you want to convey to them through your curriculum?
I want them to know these beautiful examples of faith and courage. I also want my program to be a celebration of the universality of the Catholic Church. For all of the students who use my program, it is education; for some of my students it is empowerment; for some it is enlightenment.
What was the driving force to start your curriculum platform?
With my degrees in History and in African and African-American Studies, this is material I have researched and studied for many years. I was sharing it with my three children because this information is neglected in most standard curriculums. While there are books for adults on this history, there is very little for children. I felt the Lord was calling me to create this curriculum supplement and He has made my successes possible.
If anyone wishes to reach me for questions, my email is info@blackcatholichistory.com.
I know that Kaye’s initial targeted audience are Catholic schools but I have encouraged her to plan to expand her curriculum to non-Catholic schools as I believe the information she presents in her curriculum would be of interest to all who truly love and embrace history. Here are some pictures that Kaye has sent to share in the blog post. The first one is a link to a PDF file of a beautiful watercolor painted by Kaye’s husband of the Blessed Mother, Our Lady of Kibeho, as she appeared to three girls in Rwanda and the second is a picture of Kaye and her work being blessed by her priests.
Today, I want to introduce one of the women in my inner circle who is making some history in her own life. She has embraced her entrepreneurial spirit and started her own business “Just Between Friends Gourmet Desserts”. I sent Jackye a list of questions to answer about her journey for this blog post and below is her response.
DOING MY OWN THING – “I Finally See Me”
Just Between Friends Gourmet Desserts
Jacqueline Figg (aka: JRenee)
I am J Renee owner of Just Between Friends Homemade Gourmet Desserts (JBF) where the care that goes into producing our products yields the quality that our clients continually experience.
We specialize in a variety of gourmet desserts which includes, but are not limited to the Cocoa-Mocha Bar, the Brownie Fusion, Hallelujah Cake balls (one variety) and Apricot Nectar and Citron Torte Bars. Of course your all time favorites… the lemony 7-Up Cake, the succulent Italian Cream Cake, and the delectable German Chocolate Cake remain best sellers.
In addition, JBF has put our own spin on things and have introduced a different perspective with our products…JBF Dessert Gifts. Our Dessert Gifts (cake ball trees, cake ball bouquets, cookie bouquets, etc.) are specifically and professionally packaged as “gift giving” ideas and present very well as gifts. These products preserve well and because they are baked fresh for each occasion they are ready to be consumed upon delivery.
I was motivated to birth this business after my mom passed in 2002 because I wanted to keep a part of her with me. When we would travel, one of our favorite things to do was to thumb thru magazines and collect recipes. One of the favorite family recipes is the Mocha Bars which is the recipe that has inspired me to bake and share with others. When I am cutting the bars I feel that she is a part of the process. We always enjoyed the response from people once they tasted them and I still get a “big kick” out of that as well as seeing the expression on faces when the person try to identify the bars with something that they are familiar with. It’s hilarious!
Strictly self-taught and with out any formal education in baking, I have mastered other techniques and developed flavors that have been instrumental in building our dessert menu. Our packaging is impeccable and thus far all of our clients have been satisfied.
There are two things I love most about this business…”I Finally See Me” (i.e., independent of others who I thought I had to have in my life to see the success in me) and, secondly, to see the smile on the faces of everyone once they bite into our products…whatever product they order. I would say to anyone who wants to develop an idea to pray about it first, listen for guidance, develop your passion and be open to change for growth. In this society, remaining the same does not always grow you or your business. However, remaining open not only allows a view from a difference perspective but allows you to glean from other’s knowledge and wisdom. An example of that is when we entertained the idea of shipping our products to another state. When we opened our eyes to the fact that shipping nationally was not an unattainable goal, not only do we now deliver locally but we have national recognition and have shipped our products to eight different states as well as international. That is JBF in a nutshell and we would be please is you would peruse our social media sites and order for your next event.
You can find us at: www.justbfriends1.com and/or www.Facebook.com/JustBetweenFriendsGourmetDesserts.
Let us “WOW” you with our exhilarating desserts!
