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Annual Gospel Concert Sunday, February 14th • For details see page 7
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The Savannah
Tribune Salutes
Black History
Month
Westley Wallace Law
W. W. Law was a cru
sader for justice and the civil
rights of African Americans.
He served as president of the
Savannah chapter of the
National Association for the
Advancement of Colored
People (NAACP) from 1950
to 1976 and came to be wide
ly known as "Mr. Civil
Rights."
Born on January 1,
1923, W. W. Law in
Savannah, Westley Wallace
Law was the only son and the
oldest of the three children of
Geneva Wallace and Westley
Law. He came from a poor
family and began working at
the age of ten to help his
mother after his father died.
Later on he credited his suc
cess in life to his mother and
to Lillie Belle Wallace, his
grandmother, who instilled in
him a love for reading and
social justice. He was also
inspired by his mentor, Ralph
Mark Gilbert, pastor of the
First African Baptist Church,
who revived the local branch
of the Savannah NAACP;
and he admired John S.
Delaware, his boyhood
scoutmaster, who was a
Savannah NAACP
official.Law believed that
nonviolent means were the
best way to open the city for
blacks.
After retiring from the
NAACP turned his attention
to the preservation of African
American history and his
toric buildings. He estab
lished the Savannah-
Yamacraw Branch of the
Association for the Study of
Afro-American Life and
History (ASALH).
Ralph Mark Gilbert
Civil Rights Museum as
president of ASALH, he
established the Ralph Mark
Gilbert Civil Rights
Museum, Negro Heritage
Trail Tour, King-Tisdell
Cottage Museum, and the
Beach Institute of African
American Culture.Law
received honorary doctorates
from Savannah College of
Art and Design (1997) and
Savannah State University
(2000), the Distinguished
Georgian Award (1998) from
the Center for the Study of
Georgia History at Augusta
State University, the
National Trust for Historic
Preservation's National
Preservation Award (2001),
and the Governor's Award in
the Humanities (1992). Law
died on July 28, 2002, at his
Savannah home.
Information courtesy of geor-
giaencyclopedia. com.
Black Heritage Festival brings
Lula Washington Dance Theatre
The Los Angeles-based
Lula Washington Dance
Theatre (LWDT), which
includes credits for choreo
graphing alien creatures for
James Cameron’s current
blockbuster “Avatar,” will
present two performances at
the Savannah Civic Center as
part of the 21st Annual
Savannah Black Heritage
Festival (SBHF), which is
presented by Savannah State
University and the City of
Savannah.
The troupe will perform
for elementary and middle
school students at the Ninth
Annual School Day
Extravaganza at 10:15 a.m.
on Feb. 11. Schools interest
ed in attending should call
M. Johnson at 912-354-
2657, M. Goldwire at 912-
356-2239 or F. Porzio at 912-
201-5530.
The general public will
have a chance to see the
troupe on Feb. 12 at 8 p.m.
While the performance is
free, a reserved-seat ticket is
required for admission. Free
tickets, a maximum of four
per patron, will be available
for distribution at the
Savannah Civic Center Box
Office beginning on Feb. 9 at
10 a.m. A limited number of
Abigail Jordan
tickets will also be available
at Lester’s Florist, located at
Bull and 37th streets.
Founded 30 years ago
with a $25 loan and a dream,
the LWDT has grown to
become one of the largest
and most admired African-
American dance companies
in the West. Lula Washington
is the founder, with her hus
band Erwin, main choreogra
pher and artistic “voice” of
the 10-member modem
dance company known for
powerful high-energy danc
ing and unique choreography
set to a range of music from
Virginia Edwards
experimental to blues.
The LWDT is funded
by New England Foundation
for the Arts’ National Dance
Project, with generous sup
port by Doris Duke
Charitable Foundation, Ford
Foundation, Andrew W.
Mellon Foundation, and
MetLife Community
Connections Fund of the
MetLife Foundation, and
also by Target. For the past
ten years, the festival has
paid tribute to outstanding
persons in the city of
Savannah whose work and
service in the community
Charles J. Elmore
have enhanced the lives of
citizens of all walks of life,
and especially the lives of
African Americans.
Prior to the dance per
formance, the 2010 SBHF
honorees - Abigail Jordan,
Ph.D.; Charles Elmore,
Ph.D.; and Virginia Edwards
- will be presented.
The 2010 festival is
the 11th produced by
Savannah State. All festival
events are free and open to
the public.
For more info, visit
www.savannahblackher-
itagefe stival. com
Tate Named Teacher of the Year
Bettina Polite Tate, a
marketing and IB business
and management instructor,
was named Savannah-
Chatham County Public
School System’s 2011
Teacher of the Year at the
annual Teacher of the Year
Gala held at the Westin
Savannah Harbor Hotel
Friday, February 5.
The Savannah
Morning News and its part
ners hosted the 2011
Teacher of the Year Gala
honoring each school's 2011
Teacher of the Year nominee
This event has become
the vehicle for our commu
nity partners to show appre
ciation to our teachers who
give so much to the profes
sional education of our stu
dents, so we hope that each
of you will be able to attend
to help honor our much
deserving teachers.
Tate has been a teacher
at Sol C. Johnson High
School since August 2005.
Johnson High School is also
successful businesswoman
in a reputable Fortune 500
company.
Having graduated from
Savannah State University
with a bachelor’s degree in
business administration and
a master’s degree in public
administration, Tate says a
career in education was not
on her “to do” list, even
though she enjoyed substi
tute teaching when her
schedule allowed her the
opportunity to do so.
As the district Teacher
of the Year, Tate will serve
as an educational ambassa
dor for the school system
and act as a representative
for all SCCPSS teachers. In
addition to the prestigious
honor, Tate will also con
duct staff development
activities, serve on district
wide committees and partic
ipate in various conferences
and lead the
, Superintendent’s
Tate’s alma mater. Before career at Johnson High, s h e p ro f ess i ona i s ena t e
beginning her teaching
Dr. Thomas Lockamy presents Bettina Tate with the
2011 Teacher of the Year Award. Photo courtesy of Elijah
Powell, SCCPSS
worked for six years as a
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