u . aI Workshop
or; Earnest Bate
row, 9oro y A tin
oir. See article on church
The public is invited to
attend.
On Sunday, June 29 at
3:30 p.m. the Youth and Choir
of CHRISTIA LIGHT BAP-'
T1ST Church, 2059 Eastland
ill be celebrating their annual
day.
There ill be veral choir
of the city attending.
Rev. K orri Gavin, oci-
ate mini er of Second Baptist
Church ill be bringing the
me e.
Rev. Leonard Robinson is
the ho t p or. The public
is invited to attend.
it first graduation exerci on
ednesday, June 25 at 7:30
p.m. at the church.
OCBL is a te ching ministry
geared toward meeting the needs
of the total person. 'We te h
a message of hope, pe ce, joy,
happine , a seven-day-a-week
religion that is truly a guide to
better living" , said Minister­
Director Camellia Frye Bogan.
There are ten candidates for
gr duation. They are.Joe W.
Bogan, Patricia Watt, Ruby L.
urphy, Helen Clark, Walter L.
Crenshaw, Mattie Clark, Ozell
Burton, Anna McC ster, Georgia
M. Sanders and Patricia Ward.
The Rev. Helen W. Carry ,
Director of the Johnnie Cole­
mon In titute, will present the
candidates.
Each candidate have complet­
ed the requirements in the
Ma er Certificate Program. This
program include courses in Basic
Truth Principle Self Discovery
Discover the Po er Within, Old
and ew Testament exoteric
and esoteric, Techniques of
Prayer Cour e in Healing and
many Advanced and Elective
Cour s.
The Graduation addre
OUR CE TER FO BET-
TE LIV G (OCBL, 717
apier Avenue, will have
s
JUNE 22 - 28, 1986 THE CITIZEN
be given by Dr. J ohnie Cole-
mon, Founder-Director of
UFBL. Dr. Colemon is al
inister-Director of the ne
6.7 million dollar Christ Uni­
versal Complex.
Rev. Colernon is recognized
as a national religious leader.
Her 29 year ministry has been
remarkable' beginning in 1956
with a congregation of 43 people
and expanding to a member­
ship of 10 000 nearly three
decade later. She ha most
recently been recognized by
Dollars and Sen Magazine a
one of Ameri a's Top 100
Black Busine s and Professional
Women.
The public is invited. For
further information on thi
event or any activities held at
the Center, you may contact
the Rev. Camellia Frye Bogan,
Minister-Director at 927-1100 or
926-2971.
There will be a Spiritual
usical Workshop Saturday,
June 28 at the MT. ZIO
.C. CHURCH, 100 iller St.
Dowagiac where the Rev. Ellis
L. Hull Sr., is the pastor.
Eric Gardner, 34, a native
of Kalamazoo is will be con­
ducting the Workshop.
Gardner i a native of Kala­
mazoo and the son of Rev.
Mabry and Mary Jane Gardner.
The majority of the music
played by r. Gardner has
been gospel.
Along with playing gospel
music in 1969, Eric was the
founder and director of the
gospel singing groups, The
Young Gospel Singers. Thi
group of young men and wo­
men under the leadership of
Eric traveled as far as Washing­
ton, D.C. and presented a vast
number of spiritual concerts
throughout the ate of ichigan
from 1969-1978.
During the 1970's after his
graduation from Kalamazoo
Central High School Mr. Gard­
ner participated in an inter­
national group 101 Voices and
Band. The group traveled
to Europe for a six week tour.
At present, he is the music
ministry director at ew Cove­
nent Church Kalamazoo,
under the pastoralship of Rev.
athanial White. At ew
.ILLIAM ;'
PHOTOGRAPHY
Specialize in Weddings,
P.eceptlons.,
F amHy Portr aih, and any
Special moment in your life
SPECIAL RATES FOR.,.
CHURCH ORGANI·ZAT�ONS
ionel G. Willi:ams
25-0531 • ns.om
.. � .. -
Covenent, Gardner directs the
group, Family Go pel Singer.
r. Gardner ha been mar­
ried for 11 years to Edn Sor­
rell Gardner and from their
union have three children.
Theme of the workshop is,
Can't Stop Praising His arne"
will commence at 10 a.m.
Included in the workshop will
be registration implementation
of 15-20 ng by I cal and
rrounding churche dinner
and mu sical me e in g spel
singing.
The public is invited.
Telling It like It lila
African-Americans represent 12% of America's p pulation.
Yet, 23% of the fatallties in Vietnam were of African-Ameri­
can descent. This unequal repre ntation makes the Vietnam
War especially signficant to Blacks.
Wallace Terry, in the boo Bloods; An Oral History of the
Vietnam War by Black Veterans (Random House 1984
pre nts the Black man's story of that war. His experience
in Vietnam was unique' unlike any other member of the
Armed Force, Black or white, in'any other war.
First, there was the old problem of his status as an Ameri­
can citizen. During this war, while he wa being sent abroad
to defend democracy, his own people were engaged in a
massive struggle for their civil rights in America.
Secondly, Vietnam was a new kind of war - a weird con­
test of Technology versus People. Though the Blac soldier
was fighting on the side of Technology, he kept seeing the
people: their poverty, their humiliations, their powerle ne s
- all mirror reflections.of his own predicament back home.
Finally, in the Vietnam War, the Armed Forces were
integrated for the first time. But old enemy Raci m, was
right there in Vietnam, strutting about like a five- tar general.
It stayed, however, mostly in the safe and comfortable
places behind the lines, handling out the decorations and
the promotions and the discharges.
It shied away from the places where Death was stalking
and it wa here that Black men and white men got a close
look at each other for the first time. They had to hold onto
another in an effort to stay alive.
Out of this stange and bizarre setting, hundreds of difficult
situation jumped out at the Black soldier firing the quest­
ion:" Who - What - and where is the nemy?
That is what Bloods is all about. Twenty Black Vietnam
veterans talking about survival in an insane situation. They
let us know that war is no Hollywo d movie. It is real. It
it not glamourous it is grote que.
Wallace Terry has done a brilliant job of getting their torie
down on paper in uch a way that we actually seem to hear
them talking. They make you feel the fear, smell the death
stench and jump at the strange noises coming out of the
darkness.
The veterans in the book represent various backgrounds
and persuasions. There is the poverty stricken young man
who hoped the army would give him a way up and out: and
the middle cIa youngster who just wanted to get away from
home and perhaps play in the army band. .
There is the West Point graduate who made the ch ice of
a military career' and the young Black militant who is drafted,
struggling and kicking all the way.
They pre nt a full range of experiences. There's the funny
story told by the avy Radarman who "hustled" the ar:
the bitter story from the man who saw him If changing from
an innocent young boy into a "animal"; and the painful
story of the Air Force Colonel who spent 8 horrible years in a
Vietnam pri on camp. Every story in the book throws a
glaring light on the ob nity of war.
In the story told by Specialist 4 Arthur oodley, there i a
particularly heart-rending pa ge which sum up the tr edy
of the Vietnam War - and all wars. Describing the nightmare
which he relives constantly, he mea series of statements
which begin with the word "I still cry ... "
e should all ill be crying.
If your community library does no thave the boo , Bloods
by Wall ce Terry, a them to get it for you. It is important.
We need to hear what these men are ying.
9