National Black Golf Month
Jazz appreciation month
“What the world needs now is love, sweet love, It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of. What the world needs now is love, sweet love, No not just for some but for everyone.” – Hal David, was blessed to pen these wonderful words. The lyrics to this song and the critical times that our youth, families and communities are facing moved me to remind us that love, true love is what we all need.
The type of love that I am talking about is the love that allows you to forgive someone that has done you wrong; love that allow you to not hit back when someone hits you; love when others hate you; the love power that defeated the racially segregated Jim Crow unjust laws. When Dr. Martin Luther King said, “You don’t have to like them, but you must love them.”–This is powerful stuff.
When I watch Fox News, C-Span, CNN, etc. even local news, the broadcasters are reporting actions of hate or misunderstanding: Police shootings; teens fighting and posting it on facebook; rappers speaking negative words about women and their black brothers; the Confederate flag and what it represented…. What’s sad is the rappers and supporters of the confederate flag think that what they stand for is love….But there is no utopian society or community. But love for your fellowman is the next best thing to utopia.
National Black Golf Month
We are nearing the end of the month of April, which is both Jazz Appreciation Month and National Black Golf Month. I, being a black American man of African descent, I am proud to represent both. From the jazz side, I am Executive Director of the Tennessee Valley Jazz Society in Huntsville, AL and from the golf side, I am founder and Executive Director of Huntsville’s Tennessee Valley Youth Golf Development.
You can visit the websites http://www.tvjs.webs.com/ and http://www.golflifeskills.org/ and/or review some of my past blog in this publication to learn more about what these organizations are about.
National Black Golf Month, was launched in 2010, by the African American Golfer’s Digest and AABoomers.com. The recognition of honoring the African American efforts and achievements in golf is still a new thing. Even though the African American first foray into golf in 1896 was John Shippen, the majority of people in the golf and sports world doesn’t have a clue about the our efforts and achievements in golf.
Related story: National Black Golf Month Hopes To Spur Growth of the Game Among African Americans
But celebrating a National Black Golf Month is a good thing, as publisher Debert Cook said, “It is designed to attract more African Americans to the game of golf and to garner greater awareness of the sport and its health and career benefits to minorities and our communities.” National Black Golf Month will continue to grow and the golf industry will reap the benefits as well. For National Black Golf Month 2016, let’s create a write-in campaigns that we can share, where individuals will write about what drew their interest to golf, and more.
Jazz appreciation month
Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) is a music festival held every April in the United States, in honor of jazz as an early American art form. JAM was created by John Edward Hasse, PhD, curator of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
Jazz Appreciation Month was created to be an annual event that would pay tribute to jazz as both a living and as a historic music. Schools, organizations, and even governments celebrate JAM with events ranging from free concerts to educational programs. Its first year was 2001, with initial funding provided by the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation. And of course we all know jazz is a creation of the African American. If I am wrong, I would love to hear from you.
To celebrate 2015 JAM and International Jazz Day, the Tennessee Valley Jazz Society offers several activities including jazz great Houston Person. Mr. Person is an American jazz tenor saxophonist and record producer. Although he has performed in the hard bop and swing genres, he is most experienced in and best known for his work in soul jazz.
As my motto is “Anything positive is possible” and I think you would agree that both jazz and golf are positive things. Our goal is to introduce our youth to the art form of jazz and the sport of golf. Help us to make these thing possible!
“Anything positive is possible”
Much love to Richard Crimes, for assisting me with my blogs.
I would love to hear from you on how your work ethics were instilled in you!
Donations and Sponsorship are appreciated!
Howard Bankhead
Executive Director
Tennessee Valley Youth Golf Development
604 Jordan Lane
Huntsville, AL 35816 USA
256-604-8172
Visit our website: www.golflifeskills.org
