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15th Annual Hilton Island
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“GEORGIA’S BEST WEEKLY”
®he l£>abannal) tribune
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February 16,2011-February 22,2011* Vol. 38 No.51 * www.savannahtribune.com • 912-233-6128 • Fax: 912-233-6140
Mrs. Amelia Platts Boynton Returns
Home to Savannah
Mrs. Amelia Platts
Boynton now 99 years old
and one of Savannah's
greatest civil rights heroes
will return to her home
town February 17-20 with
a full schedule of activities.
The Ralph Mark
Gilbert "Georgia's Official
Civil Rights Museum in
conjunction with St. Phillip
Monumental AME Church,
and Gateway Educational
Foundation will bring Mrs.
Boynton to talk with stu
dents at Johnson, Beach
and Savannah State
University next Thursday
and Friday.
Friday afternoon the
Country Inn & Suites 320
Montgomery near Liberty
Street will name one of
their suites "The Amelia
Boynton Room" according
to Mrs. Kai Williams the
Director of Sales of the
popular hotel. During the
dedication program a spe
cial portrait created by
renowned Atlanta artist
Gilbert Young will be
unveiled and donated to the
Country Inn & Suites. Mr.
Young's art work was
endorsed by President
Obama.
The rest of Mrs.
Boynton's stay in Savannah
Amelia Platts Boynton
will be associated with the
Sixth Episcopal District
Founder’s Day
Observance, Bishop
William Phillips Deveaux,
Saint Philip Monumental
African Methodist
Episcopal Church Host
Church, The Reverend
George Moore, Jr., Host
Pastor, The Reverend J. E.
Taylor, Host Presiding
Elder, 1112 Jefferson
Street.
Amelia Boynton
became involved as a
young woman in cam
paigning for women's suf
frage.
In 1934 she registered
to vote, a privilege which
later became a right. A few
years later she wrote a play,
Through the Years, which
told the story of creation of
Spiritual music, in order to
help fund a community
center in Selma, Alabama.
Bontyon was a part of
the "Selma to Montgomery
marches". One of them,
held March 7, 1965,
became known as “Bloody
Sunday”.
She ended up gassed,
beaten, and left for dead by
Alabama State Troopers.
The photograph of the
injured Amelia, which was
seen on the news through
out the world, helped to
gain support for the civil
rights movement.
The horror of that
event helped lead to the
passage of the Voting
Rights Act of 1965. She
was a guest of honor when
President Lyndon Johnson
signed the Voting Rights
Act into law.
Boynton ran for the
Congress from Alabama in
1964, the first female
African-American ever to
do so and the first female
of any race to run for the
ticket of the Democratic
Party in Alabama. She
received 10% of the vote.
Robinson was awarded the
Martin Luther King, Jr.,
Foundation Medal of
Freedom on July 21, 1990,
by the New York State
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Foundation.
Wyt &abannal)
tribune
Salutes Black
History Month
Hosea Williams
Hosea Lorenzo
Williams was a United States
civil rights leader, ordained
minister, and later a politi
cian. His famous motto was
"Unbought and Unbossed".
Williams was bom in
Attapulgus, Georgia on
January 5, 1926.
After a stellar military career,
he earned a high school
diploma at age 23, then a
bachelor's degree and a mas
ter's degree (both in chem
istry) from Atlanta's Morris
Brown College and Atlanta
University (present day Clark
Atlanta University).
Williams was a member
of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity.
See Williams, page 3
Savannnah Black Heritage’s Festival Day a “Grand
The Savannah Black
Heritage Festival’s Grand
Festival Day was a huge success!
Presented by Savannah State
University (SSU) and the city of
Savannah, Grand Festival Day is
considered the highlight of the
annual heritage celebration and
packed with family-oriented
activities that included a health
fair, youth talent showcase,
workshops, vending, a concert
and more.
R&B recording artist Donell
Jones - whose hits include “U
Know What’s Up” and “Where I
Wanna Be” headlined Grand
Festival Day concert Other
artists who performed included
Alexis Jordan and festival veter
an Jeanette Illidge.
The Soweto Street Beat
(SSB) Dance Theater, Inc., the
only professional South African
dance troupe in the U.S., also
took the stage to demonstrate
dance and music styles stemming
from various South African eth
nic groups.
Participants take part in the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony during Saturday’s Grand Festival Day
Photo courtesy of D and D Photography
” Success
Based in Atlanta since 1992,
the non-profit organization
began its work in 1989,
training at-risk youth in the
Soweto Township of
Johannesburg, South Africa,
to become professional
dancers and cultural ambassa
dors.
On Sunday, February
13, the Annual Gospel
Concert featuring “Two
Sisters” Huxsie Scott and the
Rev. Deborah Ann Butts was
held at St. John Baptist
Church. The concert included
performances by local artists
the SSU Wesleyan Gospel
Choir, the AASU Gospel
Choir, and St. John Baptist
Church Choir.
“Our Culture is Our
Journey” was the theme for
the 2011 festival, which is the
12th produced by SSU for the
city.
Several events remain,
and can be found on the festi
val’s website at: www.savan-
nahblackheritagefestival.com
Othia Saussy
7110 Sliding Rood
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