Installation of New Senior Pastor at Greater Bethlehem Temple World Ministries in Milwaukee
On Sept. 29, Greater Bethlehem Temple World Ministries in Milwaukee celebrated the installation of Marquis S. Young as senior pastor of the church. He is the congregations’ third pastor to hold the position. Established in 1946, it is said to be the oldest African American Pentecostal Apostolic Faith church in the state of Wisconsin.
Young was born and raised on the north side of Milwaukee and later relocated to Madison with his mother, Barbara. Raised in a single-parent household, he is familiar with the challenges faced by today’s youth. Several negative opportunities and experiences presented themselves, but by the grace of God, Young was able to escape the snares.
Young went on to get a formal education, which includes a Bachelor of Science in applied mathematics from Morehouse College in Atlanta and a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Young began his ministry as a deacon at Madison Pentecostal Assembly, and in November 2014, he made a full circle by relocating back to Milwaukee, where he served as a deacon, minster and associate pastor.
He currently works full time for the State of Wisconsin, Department of Transportation as a Traffic Incident Management Engineer. Young and his wife, Erica, and their two children feel blessed to be asked to serve the congregation.
We are very proud of her hard work and personal achievements!
Air Force Unveils Newest Red Tail: ‘T-7A Red Hawk’
The US Air Force’s all-new advanced trainer aircraft, the T-X, has officially been named the T-7A Red Hawk. The name is derived from the Red Tails, also known as the Tuskegee Airmen. This historic group was the first unit of African American military pilots and support personnel who fought in World War II. They became known as the Red Tails due to the distinctive red paint on the tails of their P-51 Mustang aircraft.
Acting Secretary of the Air Force Matthew Donovan made the announcement during his speech at the 2019 Air Force Association’s Air, Space and Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Sept. 16. After a short video highlighting the aircraft’s lineage, Donovan said, “ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the newest Red Tail!” A drape was then lifted to reveal a quarter-scale model of a T-7A Red Hawk painted in a distinct, red-tailed color scheme.
New Statue at U.S. Open Honors African American Tennis Pioneer Althea Gibson
In a long overdue tribute to the first African American to break international tennis’ color barrier, a new statue of Althea Gibson was unveiled at the opening day of the U.S. Open. The statue is comprised of five granite blocks and created by American sculptor Eric Goulder. It sits outside Arthur Ashe Stadium at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York.
In 1947, Gibson broke into the elite ranks of the tennis world winning the first 10 consecutive American Tennis Association women’s titles. (The ATA was the tennis equivalent of baseball’s Negro Leagues.) At the age of 23, Gibson became the first African American player to compete in the U.S. Nationals, the precursor to the U.S. Open, in 1950.
Spencer Crew Chosen Interim Director of Smithsonian’s African American Museum
Spencer Crew was named interim director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, filling the shoes of founder Lonnie G. Bunch III.
Crew – who served as director of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and also the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati – was recommended for the job by his longtime friend and colleague Lonnie G. Bunch III, who was named secretary of the Smithsonian Institution in May, the first African American to hold the title. Bunch, the NMAAHC’s founding director, told the Washington Post that the 3-year-old museum, one of the most popular in the nation’s capital, would be “in good hands” with Crew.
Crew’s priority is ensuring the museum’s smooth transition from start-up mode to “one that’s more in a steady state” while maintaining the high-quality of the exhibits, which display more than 3,000 artifacts covering everything from slavery to Barack Obama’s presidency to contemporary African-American media arts.
Dr. Willie D. Larkin Joins Edgewood College as Diversity Officer
Dr. Willie D. Larkin has joined Edgewood College and will serve in the role of Chief of Staff and Diversity Officer. Dr. Larkin was introduced to the Edgewood College community in September.
“We are honored to have a leader like Dr. Larkin bring his talent and experience to this community of learners,” Mary Ellen Gevelinger, O.P., Interim President, said. “His voice and counsel will help me direct our renewed efforts to become the inclusive community that our Strategic Plan calls us toward. Our future is indeed bright, and Dr. Larkin will play a key role in that future. Becoming the community we aspire to be – a community where all gifts and differences are celebrated and embraced – is central to that bright future.”
Larkin is the immediate past President of Grambling State University in Louisiana. He is a member of the Dane County Chapter of the NAACP, a member of the Mount Zion Baptist Church Trustee Board, a member of the Board of 100 Black Men of Madison, and serves on the Foundation Board of Agrace Hospice. Larkin is a proud member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc.
Jerry, Rachelle and Vanessa Butler’s Living Sculptures Brings Multimedia, Multigenerational Collaboration to Madison Ballet’s Studios for Gallery Night
Madison Ballet is proud to present the original choreography of Rachelle Butler, inspired by the visual art of her father and sister. Part of Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA)’s Gallery Night, Living Sculptures will see the student dancers of School of Madison Ballet perform surrounded by paintings and collages of prolific local artists, Jerry Butler and Vanessa Butler.
The home of Madison Ballet will be transformed to a performance space and art gallery in the first public performance offered there since moving to their new studios at 6734 Odana Road. All ages are encouraged to visit Madison Ballet for these series of free performances from 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4. Performances will be every 30 minutes.
Rachelle Butler is the director of the School of Madison Ballet. Her professional training began with Madison Ballet, then Wisconsin Dance Ensemble, in 1999. She was accepted on full scholarship to The Rock School of the Pennsylvania Ballet, where she trained under dancers from American Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballet. Butler began her teaching career as a student with Ballet Chicago and honed her teaching style while performing with Sacramento Ballet and Madison Ballet.
Her choreographic works include a commercial with MG&E’s genre3060, Capital City Theatre’s Find Your Light program and with the students of the School of Madison Ballet. Butler’s passion for bringing ballet to underprivileged youth sparked her to work in the Chicago, Sacramento, and Madison communities in outreach and education throughout her career.
Ho-Chunk Nation Dedicate Harry Whitehorse’s Last Sculpture, Bronze Badger
Dejope, a word the Ho-Chunk people used to refer to the Madison area; it means “Four Lakes” and it is a nod to the lush and plentiful ecosystem that the area bolsters. Harry Whitehorse, a local artist and Ho-Chunk Nation Tribal Member made his home here. An area he had become intimately familiar with as a young boy, when he and his family lived off the land. Whitehorse’s art can be found across the globe, with a dozen public pieces in the Madison area alone.
From a young age his mother, Annie Greencrow Whitehorse, instilled in him a love of nature often reminding him, “In nature, there is perfection and all that we need can be found in it.” Throughout his career it was this Dejope land, Harry’s love of nature and his Native American heritage, that emerged as a central theme in his art.
“The Badger” which was donated to the City of Madison by the Whitehorse family was dedicated on Sept. 13, nearly two years after Harry’s death. It is the last large-scale sculpture of his career and he would be beaming watching kids and adults enjoying and interacting with his work on University of Wisconsin Badger Football Saturdays.
For the Whitehorse family and the Ho-Chunk Nation “The Badger” is a very visible reminder that the Ho-Chunk people have been here and will always be here.
