From th Front Pe
In .
y (tn mini te
w nt to dole 04t nd n or II
no ledg to mern r. Unfor­
tun tely. too many mini te feel
if religious m terral do n't Iil­
t r throu h them. It I not v lid.
Furthermor ,m ny imply th t
Alive wi h A
and
By Carolyn W rfleld
,,(,t.s Corn pond,1Il
There wa a time Ray Gr y
took a lot for granted. Like
having a oda or ice cream at
the neighborhood dime store,
or riding in a friend' new car
and being with the family on
birthdays and at Christmas.
From young adult to man­
hood. freedom's ill usion has
ca us d grea t wonde r beca use
for 18 years Gray has lived in
the maximum security of the
penal system, incarcerated for
for murder at age 20.
The doors of criminal jus­
tice could swing open for
Gray and approximately 300
"lifer" inc rcerated in the
1910' if State Hou e Resolu­
tion 618.1 becomes law.
Fir t i'ntroduced in Oc-
tober, 1990 R pre entativ
Nelson .Saunder nd nine
judiciary committee co-spon­
sors, the resolution seeks
Parole Board consideration
for unpremeditated murder
conviction before 19 O.
(The I w recognize un­
premedit ted natur I like en­
te nce after November, 1980.)
H.R. 6181 ha been
r introduced to the 1991
legisl tiv e ion.
Twenty year "on the in-
ide" h ave mat u r'e d G ray
making him a keen observer.
A visual artist whose self­
taught style is beginning to
generate. Regional intere t,
he enjoys working in oit iand
pastels. '
A RECENT Kalamazoo ex­
hibition sparked the begin­
ning of a film' documentary.
Cooperation with the Carson
City Temporary Correctional
Facility will be ought to
complete the project. Gray
na dedicated a 11 ural to
the institution.
Gray uses from a variety of
themes: geoscapes, scenes
from ,daily ure, p o rt r a lts ,
. .
Sigma Gammal'Rho Sorority, tnc., has a rtcn Black heritage
More than 68 y'e ars its are proud to be associated lege campuses throughout the Operation PUSH with size- ly participated with the HoI-
-founding by even Black with the e fine companies, U.S. able donations. � lywood chapter on "Projects
chool teacher, Sigma and look at this new program Through its "Project Rea - for the youth.
Gamma Rho Sorority i still a ju t t he b e g l nnl ng of a TO COMBAT juvenile surance" with the National Following in her tradition
actively helping Blacks im- larger effort to help minority d.clinquency, Sigma Teen March of Dimes, Sigma i Anna Marie Hor ford, ver-
prove their quality of life youth find support before and Towns were developed to pro- provide pregnant teens witll atile actre ,and star of.
th ro ugh the group' motto, after college graduation." vide organized activities for coun eling and other outreach te levj ion's popular eries,
"Greater Service. Progres ." Since it founding on Black yputh. The fir '.was ervices before and after "Amen." Hor ford work
nd beginning this summer, November 12, 1922 on the begun in Chicago. However, delivery. Through .a nn ua l clo ely with Mother Clara
the orority's 'planning a new campu of Butler University by 1944 Sigmas had Teen donation to AfriCare, Sigma Hale and her children in Har-
job initiative for' • under- in Indianapoli , Ind., Sigma Town project in Little Rock, help women in Africa pur- lem.
graduate with DuPont, Inc. Gamma Rho emerged as one Ar k .; Kan a Ci y, and St. chase grinders, so vital to us- Today, Sigma's active
and the GeneraJ Electric Cor- of the mo t innovative of all Loui, Mc.; East St. Loui, taining the life of their member hip include 70,000
poration. Bl ck sororitie . Ill.; Win ton-Salem, N.C.; familie. women in uch field of
The program, which i still One major difference was and Willningtonn, De l. Since the early days, the public service a education,
, in the planning tage, will th t of the Black ororitie Today, Sigm till provide sorority ha attracted many ocial work, law, medicine,
a sist the orority's under- founded in the early 1900's, cholar hip funds nd 'Club ac- feisty trailblazer. Amon nur ing, nd pottucs, as well
graduate in finding corporate Sigma' ,even founders all at- tivitie for youth acros the them was Hattie McDaniel, a in the area of bu ine •
employment prior to gradua- tended predominantly white nation. In addition, the fir t BI ck "ever to win he mu i c the art, theatre,
tion. co l l e ges . Thus, from it sorority upport local and coveted 0 car award for her science, engineering, and
Said Sigma' Grand beginning, the orority erved national Black upport groups performance in "Gone With many more.
Basileu K tie K. White, "We to unify Black women on col- like UNCF, the NAACP, and the Wind." McDaniel acrive-
,
,
,
r thIn In , "It
id it?-
tay in boo tore
cJoc if po ible.
We need to pend time r d­
in other boo be ide the one
th t embr ce our p rlicul r
doctrine or belief. If you h ve
religiou le der who cringe
when you mentio.n "The Boo of
To address letters 0/ inquiry
or concern to be published by
"From the Front 'ew," please
write: Ethel McCane, c/o
MichigaIC Citizens, P.O. box
03560, Highland Park, MI
48203.
op
aquatic cre ture on land,
where they a ume hum n
po ture .
Steering nd riding
"cycle" or walking in the un­
light with n umbrella. Bub­
ble nd balloon illuminate
the e colorful piece .
"The Lion and the Lamb."
show the two animal beside
each other, while a dove re t
in the comfort of the lion's
paws.
In "Elephants with Butterf­
ly Wings," Gray paints their
cl u ter near the hore li ne as
geese floa t· by.
PRESENTLY. engaged in
a study on door, two new
works reflect their
tran pare t quality once
opened. A series on jazz
mu. lei I\s is lso under wax.
"YP.f hi.re Fl9wer'ShRP ,.
" End 0 f the Tr a c ks ," and
"Miles", will become
Ii thographs later this year.
"Tbere proceeds will to to
charity," Gray said. "As long
as I have material to paint,
I'm happy." Gray's wife said, •
he oftentime has to et up a
studio in the bathroom to have
peace and concentration to ex- '
ecute his work,
"Sometimes he's up all
night completing his work."
Barbara Rinehart directed
an art program in ide Jackson
Prison from 1978-1981.
Mich ig an A-rtists: writers,
painters, performing artist
volunteered time and know­
how in a beuef that prisons
and prison populations could
benefit from special activities
in developing a sense of self­
worth.
"I saw many muster self e -
teem.as they learned to work
within various ·art dis-
; ciplines." Rinehart remem­
bers. "Gray was one who took
a serious look at an oppor­
tuni ty and appl ied hi mse If."
He was planning ro go to art
school when arrested.
In no time, he was teaching'
art at Jackson and has con­
tinue to teach after transfer to
Carson City's "medium
security. He was a literacy
tutor also for the past year and
a-half. However Engler' cut
have cancelled funding,"
Rinehart continued.
G RA Y SAY She w a s "i n­
vo lve d in doing art for its
spiritual gratifaction." "It's a
personal thing. ,I want to be
an example to somebody else
because people helped me
believe in another way when 1
was deeply troubled," he said.
Rinehart laments that penal
administration had a different
philosophy eight years ago,
though from time to time the
special activities program
was, sabotaged. especially at
ti mes of cut backs. "But we
would pick up pieces and con­
ti nue on," he said.
"One thing about the penal
system then, they trived 10
maintain more stable popula­
tions. Now 8 day. prisoners
are randomly moved
anywhere in the state at any
time. This lack of community
'breeds an instability of un­
rest, violence and recidivism
among the incarcerated,"
Ri ne hart said.'
Gray s work will be on
view at the Univer ity of
Michigan African Studies
Center In Ann Arbor begin­
ning April 8 through 26.
Please call 313-164-5513 for
information .