Nashville Gardening History: Mrs. Hazel Suggs Burley

On October 3, 2025, we will be celebrating a truly remarkable milestone-the 105th birthday of Hazel Suggs Burley, a pivotal figure in the Nashville community and a charter member of the Ardent Gardeners Club. As a fellow gardening enthusiast, I have had the privilege and honor to spend time with Mrs. Burley this summer. Her birthday will be a momentous occasion that we are all eagerly looking forward to, as we celebrate the life and legacy of this extraordinary woman. 

 

I spent the 4th of July learning Nashville gardening history from Mrs. Burley who created the history.

It was evident from the meticulous floral arrangement demonstrations in the pictures that Mrs. Burley and her club members had managed to make gardening the center of their volunteer service in the community. These trailblazing women, much like squares for quilts, stitched gardening and serving others together. Their collective efforts are representative of giving back, much like the quilts in many African American homes, which are sewn by hand for warmth but are also beautiful works of art that tell the history of families, neighbors, communities, and our nation.

  

Mrs. Burley sharing photos and a program about floral arrangements from Idaho University, 1969.

 When I shared my photos of the Hostas being replanted in other areas of the garden and drawings of the placements of the plants that were to be donated and planted in the Doris Campbell Busby Memorial Garden, Mrs. Burley's eyes lit up with joy. Her enthusiasm for the project brought a sense of hope and optimism to those of us who were volunteering in the garden.

 

 S. L. Lampkin IV, MD Assistant Professor of Family & Community Medicine volunteered with MGs.

In May, the Master Gardeners met with the hospital staff to discuss potential events for a soft reopening of the garden. As I pulled weeds from a flowerbed, I remarked, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful to bring Mrs. Burley here to see the progress we’ve made?” Then I thought of an even better idea: “What if we brought her here on her 105th birthday?” We were eager for Mrs. Burley, as a charter member of the Ardent Gardeners, to see that her legacy in serving others through gardening, which included the establishment of the Doris Campbell Busby Memorial Garden, would be continued by Master Gardeners and devoted volunteers.

Mrs. Burley was the eldest of four children. She was born in the ‘twenties to Joseph Edward Suggs and Mable Hemphill. Her father, a veteran of World War I and a survivor of the Normandy Invasion, was a football coach at Tennessee State University. Her mother was also a graduate of TSU. They often traveled to Robertson County to teach the community how to can and preserve farm produce. 

Mrs. Hazel Burley's father, Coach Joseph Edward Suggs with 1925 Tennessee Gridiron State Champions.

  

Mrs.Hazel Burley's mother announcing her run for  21st District Runoff in 11/23/1962 The Tennessean. 

The two founded a mom-and-pop grocery store, which they used to encourage people to participate in the voting process. Mrs. Burley's mother, Mable Hemphill Suggs, was deeply involved in the community. She even ran for an elected office during a time when few African Americans held local or state offices in Tennessee. Mrs. Burley's mother's family included the relatives who founded Hemphill Press in 1886 in Nashville, TN. The printing company was in the family for 112 years. 

Mrs.  Hazel Suggs Burley  was on the honor roll at TSU in 1940.

A history of entrepreneurial lineage that stressed education, Mrs. Burley was a graduate of the last class to attend school at the old Pearl High School building on 16th Street in Nashville. She attended TSU like her mother and father before her and graduated cum laude with a major in English. She was a member of the Alpha Kappa Mu honor society and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. 

 Howard Burley's College Graduation Program for Howard University in 1943.

While at TSU, she met Howard L. Burley, Sr. He had received a scholarship to study at Howard University School of Pharmacy in Washington, D.C., which he accepted. After a year’s separation, Hazel and Howard married and moved to the nation’s capital, where she worked at the Bureau of Engraving while her husband attended school and worked as a guard in a medical museum.  

 The Tennessean's featured interview with Dr. Burley, Sr., a Community Icon 5-20-2002.

 After working at a few pharmacies in D.C., the couple moved back to Nashville, where Dr. Burley, Sr. opened Consumer’s Drug Store on Main Street in East Nashville. No strangers to families being proprietors, the Burleys worked and served the community for 60 years. Many East Nashvillians have fond memories of getting prescriptions filled by Dr. Burley and getting a scoop of ice cream while waiting. The Burleys' unwavering commitment to serving the community for six decades is a testament to their dedication and a source of inspiration for us all. The Burleys were married for 71 years until he passed in 2012 at the age of ninety-five. 

 

Family photos and artwork by her daughter  Viola Burley Leak.

The Burleys had exceptional children: Viola Burley Leak, an educator and renowned visual artist, and Howard L. Burley Jr., M.D. Dr. Burley and his wife, Dr. Rhonda Cunningham-Burley, made them the proud grandparents of Raina and Rachel Burley. 

Hazel Burley attending The Annual Torch Awards Banquet, a fundraiser for TSU.  

Throughout her life, Mrs. Burley has shown a deep commitment to her home, family, and community. Her active participation in clubs for mothers and child development, and her unwavering devotion to her church, Gordon Memorial, serve as a shining example of selflessness. However, it is her involvement in the Ardent Gardener’s Club, a club she helped to charter and was dedicated to promoting gardening and community service, which has been one of the shining highlights of her volunteer career, inspiring us all by her dedication to service. 

 Mrs.Burley's home was always a gathering place for the community.Notice of Garden Club Meeting, 1989 Tennessean.

Her selflessness to serving her community are a testament to her character and a source of inspiration for us all. Mrs. Burley attributes her long life to the unwavering support from her family, friends, church, and the community. She acknowledges that good genes play a part, given that her mother lived to be 106 years old and her father to ninety-five. 

The Ardent Gardeners’ fortieth-anniversary luncheon at Cheekwood on April 7, 1991 (front row left to right): Lillian Thomas, Mattie Johnson, Delores Crump, Ruth Grant, Isabel Watkins, Gretchen Payne, Carrie Denney, Alberta Bontemps, Elise Frazier, Blanche Ennix, Willie Mae Martin, Mattie Flowers (back row left to right): Zenobia Beck, Eugenia McGinnis, Rachel Lindsay, Kathleen Lawrence, Tyree Miller, Corinne Schuster, Alice Archer, Hazel Burley, Dora McClellan, Helena Perry, Jayme Williams, Patsy Petway. Ardent Gardeners Association Records, 1951-1998, Box 3, Folder 7.

 Mrs.W.H. Grant, Mrs. Neal Alphin,Mrs. Hazel Burley were planting fields of Tulips at a vocational home  for girls in the early 1950's. Cheekwood be its annual 'Cheekwood in Bloom' in 2013. 

However, she emphasizes that the strong bonds she has formed with her community have been a significant factor in her longevity and happiness. This underscores the importance of community in our lives and its profound impact on our well-being, making us all feel connected and valued. 

For her Centenarian birthday, the Nashville community celebrated with a socially distanced parade! Cars rolled by with well-wishers who were delighted to know she was healthy and safe during the pandemic. At that time, her daughter Viola shared, "She has good health practices and subscribes to and reads many journals. She believes in the importance of all lives mattering, and she achieves this through her persistence, education, family unity, financial planning, and networking. Her commitment to her health and well-being is truly inspiring.”

 Knowing she was a member of Delta Sigma Theta, this red scarf was perfect for the occasion. 

Before my visit ended, I shared gifts from my garden club meeting, which was held in March, where friends and Master Gardeners were in attendance. I knew from my grandmother's garden club meetings that the hostess gave small gifts to thank guests. I remembered my upbringing and brought along a few items that I thought she would like. The big smile from early that day doubled in size as she opened gift bags. I was a complete waterfall of tears at that moment, seeing her joy.

We reached for each other to give hugs. I held her tightly, knowing that she needed her rest. As I gathered my notepad and a recorder, Morganne Norrwood, a freelance photographer who accompanied me, was wiping tears from her eyes as I fumbled looking for a tissue for both of us. "You should have prepared," she said with a small laugh, as we walked outside.

View of Tennessee State University from Mrs. Burley's window.

Once outside, we hugged each other for a few seconds. We both knew we had captured history. Glorious history. No words were needed as we both savored the silence between us.

Photos credits: 

Mrs. Hazel Burley and Genma Holmes :Morganne Norwood for Bliss Media Group. 

Genma Holmes

The Burley Family

Tennessean Archives 

Tennessee State Library and Archives 

Christmas Connections: Santa You Look Like Me

"Santa You Look Like Me" featured is featured in the in Christmas Connections Winter 2019.

 

 

 

 

Ms. Santa photo by C-Suite Photography Pics

 As a little girl growing up in rural Mississippi, my grandparents were the ultimate lovers of Christmas and I inherited their love for the season, year round. Their spirit of giving to and serving others were their calling cards in my small community. On merger means, my grandparents taught their grandchildren how special the most wonderful time of the year is by the lives they lived daily. When I became a young adult, I ventured off to New Orleans where I fell in love with the sights, sounds and palates of a city rich in cultural at every turn. It is in Crescent City where I had my very first Christmas experience away from my rural upbringing. I encountered the Christmas legend, the Seventh Ward Santa, Fred Parker; an experience that left me filled with awe and wonderment!

Seventh Ward's Chocolate Santa, Fred Parker.

 Fred Parker, ‘Nawlins’ world famous "Chocolate Santa," took my breathe away when I stumbled upon him at an event. Even now, I can visually recall his beautiful brown skin and silvery silky beard in a red Santa suit as if it was yesterday. I stared at him for hours it seemed watching one young child after another sit on his lap and smile for a photo with the Seventh Ward’s Chocolate Santa. I literally wanted to get in line as well but I was all too aware that most of the children were not much more than seven years old. With me standing at 5’10, I would never be able to explain myself to the mother and her children behind me I thought to myself. As I continued to stare from my perch, I wanted to touch his suit and tell him how much he reminded me of my grandfather with his kind words and sincere laughter. My world view of Christmas and Santa Claus had just expanded several galaxies at the point. I could not wait to tell my grandparents about the man in the red suit who looked like me.  

The heart stopping exhilaration I felt that momentous day is how I feel each time I don my red Christmas suit in the timeless tradition set by thousands of Santas who have helped usher in Christmas with countless children as they pose for photos and hear their wishes worldwide. As Ms. Santa, I live for each opportunity to share the goodness of mankind that can be seen during the most wonderful time of year. And beyond. 

Santa Larry (North Texas Larry Jefferson) with Marines.

Santa Larry leading a Christmas Parade.

Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza's Santa a.k.a Langston Patterson

Like many children who have sat on my lap for nearly two decades and stared at me in amazement, I, even as Ms. Santa, swell with pride and get goose bumps whenever I see Texas’ Larry Jefferson, California’s Langston Patterson and several others in the news for being Santa Claus. I know the story is about being a Santa Claus but the focus is on the rarity of being a person of color in the high profile role. I share often with my media friends what I have learned from my travels as Ms. Santa...there are diverse Santas throughout communities visiting schools and churches sharing the joy of Christmas with children; they just may not be on the evening news. Thankfully, through the lens of social media, the national narrative of who is portrayed in the red suit (or green, blue,and even pink) in the media is beginning to change because we are visually seeing Santas from various backgrounds in the spotlight for doing good deeds in and out of their red suits. 

8th Guest Appearance on Urban Outlook with April Eaton.

 Whenever the spotlight is on me, I am usually asked what is it like to portray Ms. Santa. I always share there is nothing like trying to make a difference in someone’s life at Christmastime. Uplifting the spirits of a family of a deployed member of the Armed Forces or creating a memory for a family that will have more meaning in years to come is truly soul stirring. It IS a blessing to be a blessing. And, I cherish the experience of a melanin child looking into my eyes while touching my red suit and breathlessly saying, “You look like me Ms. Santa.” I know all too well what that child is experiencing especially when it is a first photo with me. 

"I am Santa Too" Christmas Photos 2016.

I also love to encourage little girls that they too can grow up and wear a red suit whenever I am asked if she can be a Ms. Santa or a Mrs. Claus one day. “You can be whatever you want to be when you grow up. As a matter of fact, I cannot wait for you to apply for my job as Ms. Santa. I am going to retire when you get your red suit,” was my response to a little blonde blue eyed five-year-old with a pony tail who could not stop hugging me at one of my school visits in December. After our photos were taken, she whispered with glee to her grandmother, “I am going to be Mrs. Santa Claus when I get real old.” Children really do say the darnedest things!

Breakfast with Ms. Santa 2015.

Ms. Santa @ Tulip Grove Elementary 2017.

5th Annual Holiday Visit to Nia House Montessori School 2018.

I can hardly wait to see where she will be in a few years and I look forward to the next generation of Santa Clauses, Mrs. Clauses, and Ms. Santas in their red suits with great expectation. I know they will come from diverse communities from around the globe so every child will be able to say with awe and wonderment, “Hey Santa, you look like me!”

Genma Holmes returns to Inside Her Story with Jacque Reid on XM Channel 127

Genma Stringer Holmes will return to Inside Her Story with Jacque Reid on Friday, December 20, 2018 to talk all things Christmas on XM Channel 127 from 2-3!

This segment has become a tradition for Ms. Santa who believes in helping others not only at Christmas but year round. We will talk  family and faith and how Christmas 2017 changed her after the loss of her grandmother. In 2018, she has been helping make Christmas memories for the elderly members of our community. Genma aka Ms. Santa has been more inclusive of our aging populations and being as attentive to them during the holidays as she is with young children.

She talks last minute gifts ideas for children that includes hot toys that will not break the bank. Ms. Santa also encourages ways to give back, building traditions by serving others, especially our military families, and supporting non-profits that have proven track records for making a difference in our community!

The Smiths and Watkins Families Updates

In the early years of social media, it was a tool used to share stories that were under reported in mainstream media. Now, social media is where mainstream media looks first for great stories, especially stories that uplift and motivate us. Our sisterhood had a social media encounter that was not only inspiring, but was informative and continues to give hope to the multitudes who are waiting to receive an organ transplant. Our social media inspiration gave the world a glimpse into the lives of two families who are truly living out the meaning of friendships for life!

Life long friends,  Sheryl Sutton Smith and Angela Watkins, are not only members of several civic organizations but they are also sorority sisters as well as Spellman College sisters. Their husbands, Clint Smith, Jr. and Judge David Watkins, are Morehouse Men.  All who love them know the depth of their friendship. But a post on social media made their friendship known around the world and help energized many registration drives during November and ignited hundreds to participate in Donor Sabbath. The media highlighted their friendships and how their collective impactful has change lives in their communities and beyond.

On March 9, 2016, The New York Times featured Clint Smith, Jr.  on the front page educating the world about a new transplant procedure that saved his life. The link to the story was posted on several social media pages and went viral throughout many national volunteer organizations within days. Mass media outlets picked up the story which led to thousands hearing for the first time from, Judge David Watkins, Clint’s donor. He shared his powerful story on Living Your Best Life Radio.

Judge David Watkins

Fueled by the number of shares on social media, several media outlets dug deeper into not only the history of the Smith-Watkins close bond but the importance of having advocates give testimony to life changing medical breakthrough in layman terms. The powerful interviews of the donor and the recipient also gave many families and close friends an opportunity to have open and honest conversations about organ donation, healthcare, and wellness. The collective interviews also revealed the power of faith in action.

The story of the Smith-Watkins families friendship has inspired our many to be proactive on social media sharing positive stories about organ donation. Since the first reporting of their story, there has been a steady increase in online sharing of organ donor-recipient relationships in the communities of color that engage, inform and educate readers around the world!

Since my initial writing about the Smith and Watkins families in 2016, there has been several weddings and grandchildren have joined the journey! Look at the power of love! Phil 1:3

After nearly two years of calls, emails, and texts, Clint, Jr. Genma, and Sheryl met for the first time in person in New Orleans on August 4, 2017.

 Photo credits: New York Times, FaceBook, and Genma Holmes