There were many poignant moments at Tuesday’s Black History Month celebration in the Morris County Records and Administration Building.
Dover Alderwoman Carolyn Blackman, who paid for nursing school by selling Avon cosmetics door to door, exhorted the standing-room audience to join hands, and also to love one’s parents before it’s too late. One of 13 siblings, she stressed the value of family and advised gravitating toward people who smile.
“Jump on that wagon. You can learn from those people,” said Carolyn, who was among six African-American honorees of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office and the northern New Jersey chapter of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives.
New York Jets wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery, who also hails from a large family, spoke about his charitable foundation for underprivileged youths and urged people to become mentors. Improving the life of even one child can have an enormous ripple effect on society, he said.
David Walker of the Morristown Neighborhood House offered living proof, fondly remembering a sixth-grade teacher who set him on the right path.
Linda Murphy, principal of Morristown High School, described the warm relationship that developed between her office and the prosecutor’s office last year when death threats shook the school.
Yet the speaker who left them all speechless was a tiny 8-year-old named Ariya Blow, who delivered an eight-minute musical talk honoring Martin Luther King Jr.
“My cheeks are hurting, I was smiling so hard. She was awesome,” said Prosecutor Robert Bianchi.
Ariya had an advantage over everyone else: The South Plainfield resident takes classes from a nonprofit called New Jersey Orators.
(STAY TUNED FOR VIDEOS OF ARIYA AND OTHER SPEAKERS)
Honorees included Dr. Felicia Brown Jamison, a Morristown civil rights advocate for decades, and retired Orange Police Capt. Don Wactor. In her keynote address, Middlesex Sheriff Mildred Scott recounted a girlhood visit to segregated Virginia that left an indelible impression.
Proscutor Bianchi said Tuesday’s ceremony was part of a broader community outreach program. At least one major bust of gang members stemmed from information provided by citizens who felt comfortable talking with investigators because of similar community events.
“We’re going out to the faith-based, ethnic and educational communities, getting to the grass roots, to the people heavily involved in the community, and giving them recognition as role models,” the Prosecutor said.
