Dinner and Discussion Book Club: Postcards from Cookie

I received a copy Postcards from Cookie in March and fell in love with the author's, Caroline Clarke Graves, journey. I recommended the book to the book club I am in, to listeners of Living Your Best Life Radio and several friends in women groups. I have read the book several times since March and with each sitting, I felt as if I was turning the pages of the book for the first time.

I knew the book was a hit when I got an email from Diane Hines who simply stated "I loved Postcards From Cookie." I immediately called her and we spent the afternoon sharing our favorite stories from the book. A few days later, Joyce Searcy emailed me from London and said, "I read the book while I was on the plane." I also recieved a postcard from her which I thought was a great lead up to our book club meeting. When Cathy Ramsey called she said, "I have something to share but will wait until we see each other."

With so many positive comments, I could not wait for our meeting to hurry up and get here. The anticipation to fellowship with fellow book lovers and natural story tellers and hear their feedback had me counting down the days until I could see the ladies of club share more of their thoughts about Postcards from Cookie. While waiting to meet with them, I sent emails to the Caroline, letting her know the popularity of the book and how I could not wait to see her in person soon.

The Dinner and Discussion Book Club met at Sunset Grill to discuss Postcards From Cookie.
The afternoon spent together over diner and drinks was truly a special time. Cathy put our discussion questions on postcards that she made from photographs of student life at Palmer Memorial Institute. During dinner, Cathy revealed that she had attended the school at one point and understood the mindset of many of the women like Maria Cole who graduated from the school.

As usual, Cathy's questions were thought provoking and lead to follow up questions and sharing of individual stories that mirrored some of the family dynamics that were told in the book. As Veronica and Anessa shared from chapters of their lives, I felt the strong pull of Postcards from Cookie bringing women closer together as we read Caroline peeling back layers of her life one page after another while giving readers a glimpse of how life was in the inner circle of Black Royalty through Cookie's life.

Postcards from Cookie is rich with history, heritage, and mayhem that have helped shaped African American communities from North to South and East to West over several generations. It mingles the past with the future while having you reaching for your latest issue of Black Enterprise. After my first reading, I reached out to old friends that I met at BE Conferences and Events over years. Several places mentioned in the book during Caroline's travels regarding BE, I was there with other entrepreneurs. Oh, the fund memories. Those calls to friends had me searching for thank you notes from Mr. and Mrs. Graves that I saved. I was reminded of the power of sending notes and thank you cards and how special I feel when I receive one for any reason.

As Caroline reveals in Postcards from Cookie and my biggest take away from reading it, God does not make mistakes and we are all "uniquely and wonderfully" made.



Photo Credits: Genma Holmes, Harper Collins

The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee held its annual selection meeting today and elected seven individuals to the Class of 2014. Bringing the total number of members in the Hall of Fame to 287 are linebacker Derrick Brooks, punter Ray Guy, defensive end Claude Humphrey, tackle Walter Jones, wide receiver Andre Reed, defensive end Michael Strahan, and cornerback/safety Aeneas Williams. - See more at: http://www.profootballhof.com/enshrinement/2014/2/2/pro-football-hall-of-fame-class-of-2014-elected/#sthash.jtyMmoEW.dpuf

The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee held its annual selection meeting today and elected seven individuals to the Class of 2014. Bringing the total number of members in the Hall of Fame to 287 are linebacker Derrick Brooks, punter Ray Guy, defensive end Claude Humphrey, tackle Walter Jones, wide receiver Andre Reed, defensive end Michael Strahan, and cornerback/safety Aeneas Williams. - See more at: http://www.profootballhof.com/enshrinement/2014/2/2/pro-football-hall-of-fame-class-of-2014-elected/#sthash.jtyMmoEW.dpuf

My HBCUstory Carlos McCormick on Living Your Best Life with Genma Holmes

Join Living Your Best Life with Genma Holmes as we profile organizations and leaders who lead by example. With extraordinary acts of kindness and charitable giving that help countless lives daily, these organizations and leaders embody "Be the change you want to see in the world".

Throughout 2013 listeners will hear from presidents of organizations who are global change agents. We will also hear from CEOs of social enterprise businesses who are changing communities and college educators who are taking their students out of the classroom and into surrounding neighborhoods to learn and serve others.

Join us on Saturday, April 13, 2013  as we continue the countdown to the Inaugural  HBCUstory Symposium with Carlos McCormick, an honor student athlete who attends Tennessee State University.  Listen to Carlos share his powerful journey from an orphanage in Mexico to West Virgina School for the Blind to attending college in Tennessee while training to run for the Paralympics. 

Carlos will share about the educational struggles but he graduated from high school with a 4.0. He will share how he dreamed of going to college and how colleges are adapting to a growing population of students who are vision impaired. He will also share how technology plays a major role in his pursuit of a college degree. Carlos speaks often to students at  the Tennessee School for the Blind, agencies that advocate for children with disabilities. He also addresses adoption and foster care issues. Carols is an aspiring author and has a book written about his life.

Carols is mentored and coached by Franz Holmes who HBCUstory can be found here. Carlos' HBCUstory of overcoming many personal trials and how is desire to go to college against all odds will leave you empowered, inspired, and motivated to live your BEST life.

Living Your Best Life, a radio show that empowers, inspires and motivates one to live their BEST life, can heard on 760 AM in the Middle-Tennessee Region, military bases, and streamed live on U-Stream.TV from 9-10AM CST. This show will also be aired on WTST, a member of the HBCU radio network.


More About Carlos McCormick



· 1995- Abandoned at Villa Hogar, an orphanage in Toluca, Mexico. He can’t remember anything about his parents or where he lived before the orphanage. Presumed to be three years old, but doesn’t even know when his birthday is. Was assigned a birthday by the orphanage.

· 1998- Along with his older brother Eric, he was adopted by Stephen and Carolanne Dougherty from Philadelphia. He lived with the Doughertys and their four daughters for two years before being mysteriously left for adoption by another family.


· 2000- Moved in with and was later adopted by Henry and Diane McCormick from Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. Lived on a small farm there for six years and suffered cruel neglect and punishment before finally being removed from the home by the West Virginia DHHR.

· 2006- Removed from the McCormick home and placed in a series of temporary foster homes before finally settling with Deyerle and Etta Miller from Mathias, WV, a tiny rural village in Hardy County. He also started attending school for the first time in five years when he enrolled at the West Virginia School for the Blind in Romney.

· 2008-Attended the Paralympic Games in Beijing, China, where his love of running and his passion for competition led him to set his sights on becoming a Paralympian himself.

· 2010- Moved into the home of Donna and Larry See of Romney and began splitting his education between Hampshire High School and WVSB. Completed against public schools, which enabled his running to reach a new level.

· 2012- Graduated from Hampshire High School, achieving a perfect 4.0 grade point average his senior year.

· 2012- Enrolled at Tennessee State University and began training under the watchful eye of assistant track coach Franz Holmes.


More About IPC 

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement. Its purpose is to organize the summer and winter Paralympic Games and act as the International Federation for nine sports, supervising and coordinating World Championships and other competitions.

The vision of the IPC, run by 200 members, is ‘To enable Paralympic athletes to achieve sporting excellence and inspire and excite the world.’

Enable - Creating conditions for athlete empowerment
Paralympic Athletes - The primary focus, from initiation to elite level
Achieve - Sporting excellence is the goal of a sport centred organization
Inspire & Excite - Touch the heart of all people for a more equitable society

Founded on 22 September 1989 as a non-profit organization, it is based in Bonn, Germany and aims to develop sports opportunities for all people with an impairment from the beginner to elite level.
It employs nearly 50 people from 17 countries and is composed of a General Assembly (highest decision making body), a Governing Board (executive body), a Management Team and various Standing Committees and Councils.

Aspiration:

Athletes and the Paralympic Games are at the heart of our Movement. Their performances and incredible stories teach the values of acceptance and appreciation for people with a disability. The Paralympic Movement builds a bridge which links sport with social awareness thus contributing to the development of a more equitable society with respect and equal opportunities for all individuals.

Eliza Donahue Shares her Family's Adoption Journey on Living Your Best Life

Join Living Your Best Life with Genma Holmes during the month of December as we hear stories of faith that will "empower, inspire, and motivate you to live your best life". Hear powerful individuals with diverse backgrounds from around the country share how their faith have shaped their lives as well others.

Tune in as we hear how they have soared and taken others with them. We will also hear how they have overcome personal struggles that affected their leadership and personal lives. Living Your Best Life can be heard every Saturday on 760 AM in the Nashville-Middle Tennessee region and on worldwide on Ustream.TV from 9-10AM CST.

On Saturday, December 17, 2011, we will hear eleven year old Eliza Donahue and her journey to help adopt a sibling from Haiti. Hear how she was spiritually impacted and her family lives altered by the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti on January 12, 2010. She will share how she helped family friends Mike and Missy Wilson who soon to be adopted daughter Tia was in an orphanage the day of the earthquake. Without being asked, Eliza counted all her money and gave it to the Wilsons to help them bring Tia home. Her decision to give her all to help the Wilsons put Eliza on the path to travel to Haiti herself. This powerful story from an eleven year old will leave you empowered, inspired, and motivated to look deeply within our hearts and beyond our borders to find a calling in life.

More about Eliza Donahue's Journey

The months following the earthquake, after Tia and her sister, Naika, were safely in the U.S., Eliza began asking to go to Haiti herself. She wanted to see Haiti in person and meet the children from the Creche run by Dr. Joseph Bernard and New Life Link. Because of the Wilson family, Eliza had grown to love the children of Haiti deeply even though she had not been to the orphanage. She persistently talked to her parents about going to Haiti. For Christmas, instead of asking for presents typical of tweens, Eliza asked to go to Haiti. At that point, her parents knew this was not a phase; their daughter was determined to go to Haiti.

Eliza received a certificate for Christmas giving her the opportunity to go to Haiti, but she would have to raise the funds. Without hesitation, Eliza began to raise funds through a letter writing campaign themed, "I have a Heart for Haiti". She raised the necessary funds through generous donations from friends and family. In July of 2011, Eliza and her mom, Laura, traveled to Haiti.

To say that the experience changed both of them would be a huge understatement. It was transforming; heart, mind and soul! Eliza was so touched by the children and people of Haiti that she was asking to adopt a sibling even before leaving Haiti.

Upon returning from Haiti, Eliza (and Mom) gathered the family and asked everyone to consider adopting from Haiti. Because of the family's experience with Mike and Missy Wilson, Haiti held a close place in each person's heart even though not everyone had traveled there. After a month of praying, discussing and praying some more, the family all agreed that the Lord was calling them to adopt.

Isaiah prophesied that "a little child will lead them"... and so Eliza has listened to the voice of the Lord and has led her family on the journey of adoption.

To read more about the family's journey and to help contribute to their adoption click Here

Eliza is the youngest of four. Her older siblings are Baker, 16, and 13 year old twins, Brennan and Cara.