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Savannah Black Heritage Festival Opens February 1st
Step Afrika! Dance Company (Zulu Dance)
Savannah State Uni
versity is pleased to announce
that the 34th Annual Savannah
Black Heritage Festival will
take place February 1-28, 2023
in person. “The Festival Lives
So Our Legacy Thrives” is the
central theme of the festival as
we are committed to emphasiz
ing the importance of celebrat
ing Black Culture.
The festival experi
ence will be sure to bring cul
tural education and exposure to
the performing and visual arts,
as well as historical gems and
entertainment for all demo
graphics and interests through
out the celebration. This is a
special year for our festival
after a three-year virtual hi
atus and since we are honor
ing Westley W. Law’s 100th
Birthday (01/01/1923). The 1st
Savannah Black Heritage Fes
tival (SBHF) was held on Au
gust 20, 1988, and originated
under the guidance and leader
ship of the late W.W. Law and
the Association for the Study
of African American Life and
History (ASAALH), with mor
al support and general funding
from the City of Savannah.
Headlining the Gos
pel Explosion is G. Allen Bat
tle and Family Worship. “More
than a singing group, more
than music, Family Worship
is a movement,” said Carolyn
Battle, Family Worship Sopra
no/Soloist. G. Allen Battle is
the director of the vocal group.
This year’s festival
will also feature the acclaimed
Step Afrika! dance company
that dedicates its performance
style to the African-American
tradition of “stepping.”
The schedule will
include national and regional
musicians, educational pre
sentations, local youth talent,
historic tours, and visual art
exhibitions by internationally
acclaimed and local artists.
Continued on Page 3
Economic Opportunity for Savannah-Chatham County Area, Inc.
Mobilized Residents in Honor of the King Holiday
Local residents
stepped up to serve as volun
teers on January 12, 2023, in
honor of the annual Martin
Luther King, Jr., holiday. Vol
unteers planted, weeded, and
cultivated a community garden
joining hundreds of thousands
of Americans across the coun
try in volunteer service.
Special guest was
Thomas J. Vilsack who was
confirmed as the 32nd United
States Secretary of Agriculture
on Feb. 23, 2021, by the U.S.
Senate. He was nominated by
President Joe Biden to return to
a role where he served for eight
years under President Barack
Obama. During Vilsack’s com
mits, he recognized Savannah’s
Economic Opportunity Author
ity as being unique because of
the diversity of the volunteers.
Among them were a group of
senior citizens who serve as
foster grandparents, Savan
nah State University students
L-R: Terry Tolbert, Wendy A. Owens, Debbie Walker, Mayor Van Johnson and
Thomas J. Vilsack
and instructors, local business
owners. Also in attendance
were Mayor Van Johnson and
Commissioner Tanya Milton.
Economic Opportu
nity for Savannah-Chatham
County Area, Inc. leveraged
the strength of local citizens
to help tackle local problems
and advance Dr. King’s dream
of opportunity for all. Terry
Tolbert, Executive Director of
EOA stated, “to celebrate our
success and raise awareness of
food insecurity in our commu
nity, EOA will host Revitaliz
ing the Garden.”
Continued on Page 2
Judge Tammy Stokes Sworn In
As Superior Court Judge
Judge Tammy Stokes
On January 3, 2023,
in a crowded courtroom of
fellow judges, members of
the bar, family, friends, and
supporters from the communi
ty, Judge Tammy Stokes was
formally sworn in as Judge of
the Chatham County Superior
Court by the Chief Judge, Pen
ny Haas Freesemann.
Judge Stokes has held
a judicial post on the Chatham
County Recorder’s Court since
2004, ascending to Chief Judge
in 2012. Eighteen years ago,
her appointment marked her as
the first black female judge in
Chatham County and making
county history as the first black
chief judge. Prior to her current
work, Stokes served as Judge
Pro-Tempore for the City of
Thunderbolt, Chatham County
Probate Court, and Chatham
County Juvenile Court, and
owned a private law practice
in Savannah from 1996-2004.
Previously, Stokes served as an
Assistant District Attorney in
Fulton County, and Assistant
Solicitor in Dekalb County So
licitor’s Office, and Juvenile
Court. She began her law ca
reer as a staff attorney with the
United States Board of Veteran
Appeals in Washington, D.C.
Tammy Stokes re
ceived her Juris Doctor degree
from the University of Georgia
Law School, and a Bachelor
of Arts degree in psychology
from the University of Geor
gia. She calls herself a “triple
dog” because she also grad
uated from A.E. Beach High
School in Savannah, whose
mascot is a bulldog, like the
University of Georgia.
Tammy Stokes was
bom and raised in Savannah,
Georgia, where she now lives
with her husband Larry. She
dedicates her life to her home
town through her work and
community involvement.
Judge Stokes contin
ues to be a committed public
servant, embodying justice,
fairness and integrity.
Save The Date!
The Annual Savannah
Black Heritage Festival
Wednesday, February 1st
j * j
Judge Joe Huffman Sworn-In As Recorder’s
Court Judge
Judge Joe Huffman with his family
Municipal Court
Judge Joe Huffman was sworn
in Tuesday, January 3, 2023, as
a Judge for the Chatham Coun
ty Recorder’s Court. The Hon
orable Hermann W. Coolidge,
Jr., retired Chatham County
State Court Judge and current
Chief Judge of the City of Port
Wentworth Municipal Court,
presided over the ceremony
held at the J. Tom Coleman
Courthouse in Savannah, Geor
gia, surrounded by family and
friends. Both Judge Coolidge
and Judge Huffman were intro
duced with remarks by Bryan
County Solicitor General, and
prominent local attorney, Don
Montgomery.
Judge Huffman, who
won 95% of the 91 precincts
in the Chatham County runoff
election held last June fills the
seat left vacant by outgoing
Chief Judge Tammy Stokes,
who was sworn in earlier in the
day as a Judge for the Chatham
County Superior Court. As a
Recorder’s Court Judge, Judge
Huffman will be serving a four-
year term.
Judge Huffman, a
graduate of the Savannah-Cha
tham County Public School
System, received a Bachelor of
Arts degree from the Oberlin
College and Conservatory be
fore becoming a police officer
with the City of Savannah Po
lice Department.
Continued on Page 2
Chief Lenny Gunther Sworn-In As Permanent
Police Chief
Chief Lenny Gunther (L) sworn in with his oldest son (center) by his side
Following a robust
national search and com
prehensive evaluation pro
cess, City Manager Joseph
A. Melder appointed Lenny
Gunther as Savannah’s Po
lice Chief. Chief Gunther had
served as interim Police Chief
since July 29, 2022. The com
prehensive process of selecting
a new chief included a public
survey, focus groups, a practi
cal knowledge evaluation and
extensive panel interviews. He
was sworn in Tuesday, January
10, 2023 at the Savannah Cul
tural Arts Center.
“We conducted a na
tional search and considered
a group of impressive police
executives who all brought
unique qualifications to the
table, but one candidate stood
out as the right chief at the
right time for Savannah.
Continued on Page 4
ROBERT E. JAMES
Presided Since
December 1971
CARVER'
STATE BANK
est. Feb. 23, 1927
95 Years of Service, Leadership and Success!
LOUIS 6 TOOMER
Founderond
f$f Presfdenf
MAIN OFFICE
70 i Martin Luther King. Jr. Bfvd.., Savannah, GA 3 1401
SKI DAW AY BRANCH
71 tO SkieJaway Ref., Savannah, GA 31406