Plus-size pageant promoter talks of relationships at 'Honor Your Mother' BY FELEC1A Pionrrm mm*" ? wng, rtt.L). fOR THE CHRONICLE Ben Piggott, the center supervisor at the Carl Russell Sr. Community Center, welcomed more than 85 mothers, fathers, children and community leaders to the fifth annu al "Honor Your Mother" luncheon held at the center on Saturday, May 2. Elaine Green Luke, the keynote speaker, had a trou bled relationship with her mother that she feels led to her issues of low self-esteem. "Ladies, 1 want you to stand up if you have always had over-the-top self esteem all your life," she said. Only two women stood in the crowd. "Statistics show that 98 percent of all women suffer from tow self-esteem at some point in their lives. The two of you who stood are the 2 percent of women who have strong self-confidence. But the problem is there are just too few of you," said Luke. 1 Luke told her personal story of abuse through a poem ^ she recited called "I'm Still Standing." In the verses, she I blames her mother for "allowing a grown man to violate me/ to take away my virginity." According to Luke, this event zapped much of her self-esteem, but she is "still standing." Luke discussed how difficult it was growing up in the projects, while her mother criticized her for being so fat (432 pounds). Her mother also offered her material things to substitute for the love she failed to give to Luke. She wrote, "Growing up in the projects was really sad. Many of my friends left in a body bag." TTie abuse she experienced in her past repeated itself in the abusive marital relationship Luke endured for nine years. She discovered that the front window of her home was bullet-proof when her husband tried to throw a press ing iron through the glass to injure her. Through prayer, self-inventory and a commitment to her dream of deliver ing women from abuse, Luke was able to walk out of the abusive environment. "Although I have had some difficult times, 1 have been blessed, and I am so thankful for my survival," Luke said. "I found sistahs to help me with my vision. If I need ed someone to cook or to design an outfit, I found a sistah who could do it." Piggott noted that even when some parents are not the best caretakers of their children, they can still have a pos itive influence over their children. In 2002, Luke said, "I had a vision to reach out to plus size women like myself, who had struggled with selL esteem and weight issues. I introduce to the world a very unique pageant - Miss Big, Beautiful & Bold Pageant, which was launched in Binghamton, N.Y. in 2010." The pageant is part of an organization Luke founded called Sista's Uplifting Sista's: Cause Our Self-Esteem Means Everything! This organization was founded as a result of the need to promote events for healthy-self esteem in plus-size women and to seek global advance ment for women all over the world. All of the women involved in the pageants receive tiaras, trophies and other special gifts. Some of the pageant winners suffer from sexual abuse, drug addiction, low self-esteem or other ills. The next pageant will be in August in New York. Luke will hold future pageants in North Carolina now that she has relocated to this area. She used her own funds to finance the first pageant, but she will need sponsors to get contestants to New York. Some of the contestants do not even have the money to buy a dress, but Luke believes that the sponsors will come to continue this dream. Her Facebook page and website are as follows: www.facebook.com/bigbeautifulbold and sistasuplifting sistas@yahoo.com. Luke considers herself blessed that she was able to realize her dream of having pageants and being able to go to college at the age of SO. Speakers and performers on the program included Brenda Smith Mayes, Betty Johnson, Byron Brown, Shirley Mosely and Play Play Productions. Piggott praised God for all mothers. "I am grateful for all mothers today, including my own. She passed on March 12 of this year, but we have valued this event for the last five years because it offers the community a chance to express their thoughts about their mothers. All of these thoughts may not be positive. But even if these thoughts are not positive, we realize that our parents impact our destiny," Piggott said. In Betty Johnson's poem "Mother , My Mother," the speaker regrets that her mother has left her and her sib lings to grow up in the Horizon Memorial Orphanage. In the poem, the speaker cries out for arms that will never hold her, for a voice that fails to say, 'I love you.' Byron Brown introduced his sister as the speaker for the day. Brenda Smith Mays performed a solo dance to Stevie Wonder's "I'll Be Loving You Always," and the children of Play Play productions danced to "Whip Nae Nae." Luke enjoyed the gathering. "I met some very special people here in Winston Salem. I believe that I am in the right place to continue my vision," Luke said. Photo by by Felecia Piggott-Long, PhD lntoinette Little, left, embraces "Honor Your Mother" event speaker Elaine Green Luke and her irother Byron Brown at the event for mothers. Organization Donates Books to Cook Elementary SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE The Winston Salem Branch of the National Association of University Women recently fulfilled one of its major focuses of the association by donating books to Cook Elementary School in Winston-Salem. Members of the association col lected and assorted books for the Cook Media Center. The association present ed the books to the Assistant Principal Cindy Rash, Media Specialist Brashana Pellam and Guidance Counselor Diletta Mouzon. Several other staff members were also present. The Winston-Salem Branch of the National Association of University Women was organized in the mid 1950s. The president was the late Dorothy Blount. The National Association of University Women is comprised of women holding a baccalaureate degree or higher degree from an institution that is certified and accredited in the United States. If the degree is earned from another country, it must be equiv alent to a baccalaureate degree in the United States. The mission of the National Association of University Women is to serve women, youth and the disadvan taged in our communities and in devel oping countries by addressing educa tional issues, advancing the status of women's issues, and to strategically partner with allied organizations. The book donation project has been the organization's target for sev eral years. Hundreds of books are given each year to local schools for the students to read and enjoy. The W\nston-Salem Branch NAUW 2015 officers are President Evelyn Howie, 1st Vice President Doris Herrell, 2nd Vice President Sandra Armstrong, Recording Secretary Geraldine Davis, Corresponding Secretary Mildred Griffin, Financial Secretary Barbara Harriet, Treasurer Barbara Puryear, Chaplain Lillian Satterfield and Historian Susie Nance. Other mem bers are Catherine Kennedy, Helen Durr, Minnie Ervin, Wilhelmina Long, Mary Jenkins and Betty Gray. Submitted Photo Cook Elementary School officials gather with Winston-Salem NAUW Branch President Evelyn Howie (center) in the media center. Cook employ ees (L-R) are Kendra Scott, curriculum coordina tor at Cook Elementary; Diletta Mouzon; Assistant Principal Cindy Rash; and Angela Claudia, read ing specialist. Peppers from page B4 convert would tease and curse Jesus because He dtSesn't "act like their gods ( mute and unmov ing). Because they have the Holy Spirit, they can witness to Jesus' identity and power. The apostle goes on to say that all spiritual gifts even though they manifest themselves differently come from the same source. Paul points out another aspect of the" gifts is all believers don't have the same gifts and if they do their service can be rendered in various ways. Basically, the gifts are to be uSed in service to God, not for personal edification. Who gets what is decided by God alone. Each individual has a gift or maybe more, but God decided this not their status, birth order or gender. The gifts are designed for good for the entire Body of Christ! The gifts are mentioned in the latter verses of the lesson. You can also find them in Romans 12:6-8 and Ephesians 4:11. Life's Application: Believers are one body in Christ. One's location, profession, heritage or culture doesn't make us higher or lower as believers in Christ. We must always remember that the God of creation is in each of us. To pro mote unity, we must always remember that every gift comes from God and He alone decides who gets what. In reality we don't deserve anything! Everyone is important!! Each time we use our gift(s) we edify God not ourselves or the branch of Zion we are in. If we don't practice unity, what is our witness to the world? How can we show others the way? Sure, there will be dis agreements in the body, but we don't have to be disagreeable. ip# tMB, KTO M) WW is Charactef ? THeoctiwiyoutaketocarryouttiievoiues/ ethics and morals that you believe in. Consistency between what you say you will do and what you actudHy do. Putting the ethic into action. Defines, builds, or breaks your reputation. Moral strength. It takes moral couroge to do what is right when it may cost more than you are willing to pay. Who you are and what you do when no one is Intel "Whal is wrong is wrong, even if everyone is doing it. Right is still right, even if no one else h doing it." - William Pean 'it hi a is # mn Ethics; i . Define moral rights and wrongs. Transcend culture, ethnicity, and ore relevant to all socioeconomic conditions. Are the should and ought of life. Morals; Are ethical principles Founded on fundamental principles of right conduct rather than legalities. Morals are always the same. Immorality varies from generation to generation. Values: Reler to all important beliefs. Not all ore ethical, some are neutral or non efhkol. Stated; what we say, ami Operational; what we do. "Choracter is not reflected hy what we soy, or even My what we intend, it is a reflection ol what we do.'-Anonymous To portrw wrtii chtid cire providers, families and (tie community in order la offer affordable quality early diildliood education for all children, while utilizing cost effective resources, materials, technology and KWCX is 1501(c)Jflw*?. M m 1 . 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