Touching The Spirit Award

It is a great honor to being selected as one of the Honorees and receive the Windows of Opportunity and the Chicago Housing Authority “Touching the Spirit” award. but it is an even greater honor to receive it among this fine group of fellow former public housing resident.

I want take the opportunity to personally thank Crystal R. Brown-Black and Linda Stanford.

This is actually the second award my family has received from CHA. My Mother and Father, Harold and Mary Ray accepted an outstanding neighbors award in the early 60ths. My father was recognized for his work as a baseball coach for the Rockets Baseball team and my mother for her work with the Crispus Attack PTA. As a matter of fact when my sister Barbara received her teaching certificate she decided to return to Attacks and Teach in the school in the neighborhood.

The title of Hillary Clinton's book, It Takes A Village, which takes the African proverb it takes a village to raise a child" for its title. The concept permeates throughout African cultures. The proverb locates the child at the center of communal life The idea of "single parent' is oxymoronic. Whether good or bad the community has a great impact our children,

I would be remised if I didn’t acknowledge my Stateway Garden Villagers.

Mrs. Denton, Ms. Gills, Mr. Harvey. Rev. Spencer Jackson, Okoro Harold Johnson who was the Stateway Park drama teacher where I was first exposed to the arts. Mr. George Ward and Mr. Prichard the park supervisor and even the janitor Alton Harvey had a profound impact on my life! And then there was Lefty a war veteran who played baseball with us and challenged us to become strong men. I must also mention. Mr. Ted Ward who opened the Southside Center for the performing arts and 35th and Michigan and recruited me from the basketball court at Stateway to hire me for my first professional directing job when I was 17. And, Mr. Oscar Brown Jr. who became my mentor and friend. Oh… and I can’t forget Mrs. Wright who had eight or nine children but always found time to tell our parents when she saw is doing something wrong. A special mention goes to Mr. Edison Love a precinct captain in the original Mayor Daley's machine who provided the letter to get my job with the park district. (No interview required in those days)!

It is because of these people and many more who touched my Spirit that I am committed to create work.

The feature film I produced entitled Of Boys and Men which stars Angela Bassett and Robert Townsend deals with the lost of a love one and the need for men to stand up!

We are currently producing a documentary on violence in Chicago and our award winning short film Burning Truth covers HIV and AIDS among teens. We have also develop a series of conflict resolution plays and songs which are designed for use with teen in curbing violence and encouraging communications.

I must acknowledge Masequa my wife and partner for the past forty years. She is my rock and my blessing. And to our two sons Babatunde and Tacuma I want to say thank you for sharing us with so many.

Once again, I am happy and honored to accept this award, but I do so very humbly, in full awareness of the current plight facing families and teens in the inner city neighborhoods. These are tough times. And for some they seem hopeless. Our communities need for organizations like Windows of Opportunity now more then every!

Keep up the fight, because so many people need and depend on you for access to the services you offer and a chance for a fulfilling life for themselves and their descendants. Thanks you