PTA Mourns Death
Of Past President
CHICAGO, ILL.--Clara Brownlee
Gay, president of the National C on
gress of Colored Parents and Teach
ers from 1967-70, died of a ruptured
ulcer on December 24,1988 in Athens,
Georgia. She had just celebrated her
80th birthday
During her term of office the Na
tional Congress of Parents and Teach
ers (NCPT) and the National Con
gress of Colored Parents and Teach
ers (NCCPT) becam e one entity, the
National PTA. Gay also wrote a bro
chure about the history of the “Col
ored Congress," which was formed in
1926, with the assistanceof NCPT, to
serve parents whose children had to
by law attend segregate schools.
“ Her term was a very significant
one for the PTA and we are saddened
to have lost such a valuable leader,"
said current National PTA president
Manya Ungar, noting that Gay at
tended the National PTA convention
as recently as 1987. She was also
contributing to a living history of the
92-year-old PTA.
G ay’s motto was "to stay busy and
remain useful” which she did. Her
hobbies included teaching music, and
visiting the sick at their homes and in
nursing homes and hospitals. And,
up until her death she was a member
of her grandson’s PTA at the Clarke
Middle School in Athens, GA.
Prior to being elected president of
the National Congress of Colored
Parents and Teachers, Gay served
as vice-president, secretary and music
chairman. She was also president of
the Georgia Congress of Colored
Parents and Teachers from 1950-54.
In addition to her PTA involve
ment, Gay was a member of the
W hite House Conference on Educa
tion in 1955 and 1970, an appointed
m ember of the Southeastern Educa
tion Laboratory serving Alabama,
Georgia and Florida, and a member
of the Georgia Joint State Legislative
Committee. She was a life member of
the National PTA, National Education
Association and The Georgia Educa
tion Association.
Gay was recognized as Teacher
of the Year for Clarke County in 1959
and 1965, was listed in W ho’s Who
Among American Women and W ho’s
W ho in Education, and received a
I
distinguished service award from the
National Education Association in
1970. NEA named her One of Geor
gia’s Outstanding Bicentennial Women
in 1971.
She received her A. B. degree from
Knoxville College in Tennesse and a
M aster’s degree from Atlanta Univer
sity in Georgia. She was principal at
Clarke Central High School in Athens,
was a supervisor and principal in South
Carolina and was a high school teacher
of English, speech and music.
Gay is survived by her sister Mildred
Brownlee Gay and a son Clifford
Alexander Gay of Savannah, GA.,
and her daughters Flora Ann Gordon
Gay of Athens and Zadel Robinson of
Augusta, GA. She was a grandmother
of two.
New Year Resolutions
A man sat in his chair looking at the cards on which he had written three
New Year’s RESOLUTIONS.
“ How ridiculous” , he whispered, eyeing first one card, then the other.
Why think he would do any better, improving his life this year, than he had
in the pass. He placed the cards on the table.
That night, the man had a dream. He dreamed he was at the head of
a group, no, a mob. They ascended a steep hill by foot. They talked of what
they must do, and grew angrier as they climbed. It seems, they were seeking
out an old man who lived high on the mountain. For years the villagers
believed his counsel wise without fault. If the old man spoke differently, the
villagers retused to follow the leadership of the men who ascended the
mountain. Today, all would be settled, the angry group agreed.
Economics In F qçusj . Women In Business
W ASHINGTON, D .C .-T h e num
ber of wom en-owned businesses
continues its long-term growth, ac
cording to new governm ent figures.
The Internal Revenue Service
recently published 1986 figures for
wom en-owned sole proprietorships.
Between 1980 and 1986 the number
of women-owned sole proprietorships
grew from 2.5 to 4.1 million, an in
crease of 64 percent. During the same
period, business receipts doubled from
$36 to $72 billion.
Jam es Abdnor, Adm inistrator of
the Small Business Administration
(SBA), in commenting on the new
figures, said, “ W om en-owned busi
nesses are currently the fastest grow
ing segment of the economy and I
believe that what we are seeing today
is just the beginning. As these busi
nesses mature, their share of the
market and of total sales is also ex
pected to increase."
Between 1985 and 1986 the num
ber and receipts of women-owned
sole proprietorships increased by ten
percent. The number of women-owned
firm s increased from 3.7 to 4.1 million
and receipts increased from $65 to
$72 billion.
Another plus is that women’s share
of all sole proprietorships and re
ceipts also increased from 1985 lev
els, from 28 percent to 30 percent and
12 to 13 percent respectively.
Carol M. Crockett, director of SBA’s
Office of W om en's Business Owner
ship, said, "These figures are very
encouraging and illustrate the contri
bution women are making to the health
of our nation's economy. Women are
truly participants in the economic
mainstream and are succeeding in
our nation’s dynam ic entrepreneurial
econom y.”
AT O U R NEW SENTRY,
YOU'LL FEEL
RIGHT AT H O M E .
I
I
I
I
I
If you’ve shopped at TJ’s *1
on N.E. 42nd or Wilshire
Park Sentry on N.E. 33rd,
I our new TJ’s * 2 will feel
,
just like home. And
even if Sentry is new to
I
you, w e ’ll make you
I
feel comfortable the
minute you set foot
1
in the door We’ve
/
been a neighbor
for years. So
walk right in.
Sentry
MARKETS I F
COMING JANUARY 90th. T.J.'s * 9 SENTRY
909 N. Killingsworth (formerly Albertson’s) 7 am - 11 pm
Teleconference
On Black History
Portland Community College will
kick off its annual celebration of Black
History Month Wednesday, February
1, with a free video teleconference at
three campuses
"Beyond the Dream: A Celebra
tion of Black History,” will be from
9:30 a m to 1 p.m. at Sylvania Campus
12000 S.W. 49th Ave.,; Rock Creek
Campus, 17705 N.W. Springville Rd.,;
and Cascade Campus, 705 N
Killingsworth St.
The national conference will look
at Black contributions to education,
politics, economics, the military, the
arts, sports, entertainment an social
issues It also will feature young Black
men and women who represent the
next generation of Black leaders in
the United States.
The video teleconference will be
delivered to audiences at colleges,
universities, military installations,
secondary schools, national organt
zations and federal and state agen
cies throughout the nation. As an
“ interactive” event, it will enable
audience participants to call in ques
tions a national panel will answer on
the air.
Among national participants will
be Mary Hatwood Futrell, president
of the National Education Associa
tion; Donald M. Stewart, president of
the college Board; Dorothy Brunson,
chief executive officer of Brunson
Broadcasting; Dean Sybil Mobley of
the School of Business and C om
merce at Florida A&M University;
Dorothy Gilliam, W ashington Post
columnist; General Bernard Randolph
America’s only Black active-duty, four
star general; Mae Jamison and Col
Charles Bolden, USMC, NASA astro
nauts; Take 6, a contem porary jazz/
Gospel musical group; and Terry
Cummings of the National Basketball
Association's Milwaukee Bucks.
The conference is sponsored by
the publishers of “ Black Issues in
Higher Education” and PCC, and will
originate from W ashington, D C.
It was designed to interest busi
ness leaders, government employ
ees, educators, health-care person
nel and students. All participants are
invited to bring sack lunches.
Further information is available from
Keith Allen or Susan McCabe at PCC,
244-6111, ext. 4260 or 4655.
Finally they reached the cave. “ Come out old man.” The man called
louder, “ Old man, come forward.” The others joined in the cry that the old
present himself. It appeared a long white, but, fln a ly, a figure stood at thee is m w e iv te tn i ueeiuO
opening. The man, seizing the leadership, stepped forward.t He yelled,-with
conviction, “ Some say you are always right. I say, you are a fake, and not
as wise as I.” The old man responded not a word.
. teO
The Man stepped closer. He held his arms extended, one hand cupped
over the other. He challenged the sage, "I have in my hand, a bird. Is this
bird alive or is it dead?” The old sage said nothing. “ You heard me old man;
is the bird I hold in my hands, alive or dead.” The Man knew, if he answered
that it was alive, he would crush the tiny bird. When he opened his powerful
hands, the bird would be lifeless. If, on theother hand, the response was that
the bird is dead, he would part his hands and the bird could fly into the air.
The Old Man, finally, broke his silence. He spoke softly, still all could
hear. What the old man said was, “The decision is in your hands."
PORTLAND OBSERVER
“ The Eyes and Ears of the Community"
288-0033
A. B. Higdon, P.O. Box 26006, Dayton, OH 45426
AT O U R NEW SENTRY,
YOU'LL GET
RED CARPET
TREATMENT.
At Sentry, you get extra special service. And w e like to serve the
community outside our doors, too, by supporting the local
churches and Little League teams, and with special promotions
and fundraising events for our neighbors. You’re welcome.
Sentry
rn p
M ARKETS V
COMING JANUARY 20th« T.J.’s # 2 SENTRY
909 N. Killingsworth (formerly Albertson’s) 7 am - 11 pm