Jacksonville Branch NAACP 50th Anniversary of the 1960 Sit-ins and Ax Handle Saturday (click each image twice to enlarge-images in order )

The NAACP'S 50th Anniversary of the 1960 Sit-ins and Ax Handle Saturday

Hurst receives Dr Mary McLeod Bethune Visionary Award

(L-R) Richard Holley Financial Design Associates (Bethune-Cookman University National Alumni Corporate Sponsor); Dr. Gwendolyn Lee, Keynote Speaker, The Links Inc. National President; Dr Trudie Kibbe Reed, President, Bethune-Cookman University; Rodney Hurst, Dr Mary McLeod Bethune Visionary Award Recipient; Wanda Flowers Esq., Chief Employment Counsel; and Evelyn Walker, Bethune-Cookman University National Alumni President. (Photo by Frank Powell)

Dr Mary McLeod Bethune Corporate Breakfast

42^nd Bethune-Cookman University National Alumni Association Annual Convention (2010)

Rodney Hurst, author of the award winning book, “It was never about a hot dog and a Coke” was awarded the Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Visionary Award by the Bethune-Cookman University National Alumni Association (B-CU NAA) during their 42^nd Annual Convention. Hurst received the award at the Convention’s Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Corporate Breakfast. The B-CU NAA National Convention was held June 16-20, 2010 at the Sawgrass Marriott Resort in Ponte Vedra, Florida.

50th ANNIVERSARY 1960 SIT-INS AND AX HANDLE SATURDAY LIMITED COMMEMORATIVE POSTER***WATCH FOR UPDATE***

50th ANNIVERSARY 1960 SIT-INS AND AX HANDLE SATURDAY***WATCH FOR UPDATE***

UPDATED INFO -50TH ANNIVERSARY 1960 SIT-INS (left click on each individual image below one time-and then left click again and image will enlarge)

The Jacksonville NAACP

The Jacksonville Branch NAACP
Commemorates the
50th Anniversary of the
1960 Lunch Counter Sit-in Demonstrations and Ax Handle Saturday
and Celebrates its
45th Annual Freedom Fund Dinner

(Jacksonville, Florida-May 14, 2010) In August 2010, the Jacksonville, Florida Branch NAACP will mark the 50th Anniversary of the 1960 Lunch Counter Sit-in Demonstrations and Ax Handle Saturday. Four days of commemorative activities will kick off on August 25, 2010 featuring talks and presentations, a very special program at the Ritz Theatre and Museum, panel discussions featuring noted civil rights activists, scholars, and historians, a special NAACP Mass Meeting (which will commemorate the actual anniversary of Ax Handle Saturday), and a civil rights film festival. All activities will culminate on the evening of August 28, 2010 with the Jacksonville Branch NAACP 45th Annual Freedom Fund Dinner featuring Keynote Speaker Kweisi Mfume.

In addition to listed events and speakers, commemorative activities will also feature Dr. James Loewen, Professor Emeritus, University of Vermont and author of “Lies My Teacher Told Me”; human rights activist, folklorist, and humanitarian, Stetson Kennedy; Charlie Cobb, SNCC co-founder, noted journalist and author of “On the Road to Freedom”; Rodney L. Hurst, Sr., Youth Council NAACP President in 1960 (me); and the long awaited reunion of members of the 1960 Jacksonville Youth Council. Additional guest speakers and events are also being added. Events are free and open to the public. However, the Freedom Fund Dinner is $60.00 per person.

For additional information and to purchase Freedom Fund Dinner tickets, please contact Isaiah Rumlin at 904 764-1753, Rodney Hurst at 904 764-9038, Sandra Thompson at 904 768-1086, or Elnora Atkins 768-8697.

Scheduled events
Wednesday - August 25, 2010
Opening Program and Reception
Ritz Theater and Museum
829 North Davis Street
Jacksonville, FL 32202
6:00-8:00 pm

Thursday - August 26, 2010
A VERY SPECIAL PRESENTATION AT THE RITZ THEATRE AND MUSEUM
Ritz Theater and Museum
6:00- 7:30 pm

Friday - August 27, 2010
Commemorative Mass Meeting-
Bethel Baptist Institutional Church
Speaker-Rev. Rudolph W. McKissick, Sr.
6:30 pm

Saturday August 28, 2010
Civil Rights Film Festival–
“Scarred Justice: Orangeburg Massacre 1968”
W/Sandra Birnhak
“The Viola Liuzzo Story”
“Freedom Never Dies-The Harry T. Moore Story”
Ritz Theatre and Museum
10:00 am-3:00 pm

45th Annual Freedom Fund Dinner
Downtown Hyatt Hotel
225 East Coastline Drive, Jacksonville
Speaker-Kweisi Mfume
Tickets $60.00
7:00 pm

Orange County NAACP ACT-SO Awards

Great applause and accolades to the Orange County NAACP and their citywide ACT-SO Awards Program on Saturday night, April 23, 2010 at the New Covenant Baptist Church in Orlando, Florida. Rev. Dr. Randolph Bracy is the Senior Pastor and Founder of New Covenant and also serves as the President of the Orange County NAACP. ACT-SO ...the Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics...is a major youth initiative of the NAACP and is a highly spirited competition across a number of artistic disciplines. It is a yearlong enrichment program designed to recruit, stimulate, improve and encourage high academic and cultural achievement among African American high school students. Gold medalists at the local level qualify for the national finals held each summer at the NAACP'S National Convention.

Orange County's ACT-SO featured more than 100 contestants. Yet, they were not contestants in the traditional sense of the word as much as they were talented artisans and artists. It was a distinct honor for me (and my wife Ann) to attend the program and bring a few words of encouragement to these distinguished young Black Award Winners. Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals were awarded in the categories of Architecture, Biology, Microbiology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Computer Science, Dance, Dramatics, Drawing, Earth and Space Sciences, Engineering, Entrepreneurship, Film making, Mathematics , Medicine and Health , Music Composition, Music Inst Classical, Music Inst Contemporary, Music Vocal Classical, Music Vocal Contemporary, Oratory, Original Essay, Painting, Photography, Physics, Play writing, Poetry, and Sculpture. Of course, all awards are based on the entrants in the various categories.

And the Winners are:

Category		Participant	Medal		School
Original Essay
		Gladys Murray	Gold		Cypress Creek
		Shelby Birch	Silver		Dr. Phillips
		Nikkia Tyler	Bronze		Dr. Phillips
Poetry
		Sarah R.T. Merine	Gold		Jones
		Duresny Nemorin	Silver (Gold eligibility – 2nd Place)		Jones
		Shelby Birch	Bronze (Gold eligibility – 3rd Place)		Dr. Phillips
Dance
		Schyler Drew	Gold		Freedom
Drama
		Denee Benton	Gold		Trinity Prep
		Faith Plowden	Silver (Gold eligibility – 2nd Place)		Ocoee
		Jakeem Powell	Bronze (Gold eligibility – 3rd Place)		Dr. Phillips
Vocal-classical
		Mikhail Thompson		Gold	Dr. Phillips
		Denee Benton	Silver		Trinity Prep
Vocal Contemporary
		Denee Benton	Gold		Trinity Prep
Musical Instrumental Contemporary
		Louis Blenbornes	Gold		Oakridge
Drawing
		Everett Jackson	Gold		Apopka
Photography
		Everett Jackson	Gold		Apopka
		Alexis Edmonds	Bronze		Dr. Phillips
Sculpture
		Everett Jackson	Gold		Apopka
Oratory
		Lucinda Howard	Gold		Jones
		Shelby Birch	Silver (Gold Eligibility – 2nd Place)		Dr. Phillips
		Jakeem Powell	Bronze		Dr. Phillips
Musical Instrumental Classical
		Cassie Hobbs	Gold		Cypress Creek
		Lissette Sanchez	Silver (Gold eligibility- 2nd Place)		Oakridge
		Jordan Jackson	Bronze		Oakridge
Engineering		Terrell Martin	Silver		Pasco County

Great applause of thanks and purpose to the Orange County NAACP ACT-SO Committee …Phedre M. Brown, Chair, LaVon P. Bracy, Co-Chair, Rev. Leroy Rose, III, Sandra Drew, Teasa Mays, Paulette Waugh, Nicole Dobson, and Rev. Bracy Jr. I commend all of you for mentoring and shepherding our "future brain trust".

And to my Good Friend Dr. Randolph Bracy... God imbued, endowed, and anointed you with Grace, and purpose to make a difference...and truly ordained and ordered your steps in doing a great work. Thank you for a job well done!!

Once to every man and nation
Comes the moment to decide
Then it is the brave man and woman who chooses
While the coward stands aside
Doubting in his abject spirit
‘Til his very Lord is crucified.
...James Lowell

The Struggle Continues…Rodney L. Hurst, Sr.