Post on 06-Jun-2020
The Dream Lives On . . . in YOU!
S he had a dream,
and the dream lives
on as we celebrate the
40th Annual Family
Reunion.
Th e Fam i l y Af fa i r
c o n g r a t u l a t e s t h e
Cleveland (Ford-Bryson)
Chapter and the entire
family on this milestone.
Whether you are family or friend, and
whether you parent, baby sit, parent sit,
train, teach, inspire, comfort, grieve with,
pray for, or in any way assist family, then
you are a part of the accomplishments
shared on the following pages.
We hope and pray that as you read this
issue, you will be inspired to reach deep
within your soul and rekindle those visions
and dreams that you may have allowed
to go dormant. Life’s obstacles can
become your stepping stones to dream
big dreams, to set lofty goals, to achieve
the greatness that is within each of us.
We are the descendants of those who
survived being uprooted from a distant
land. We are the descendants of those
who survived the notorious Middle
Passage, the horrors of slavery, Jim Crow,
Segregation, and discrimination from the
cradle to the grave; yet we are still here!
Y ou are a survivor! You are not here
by mistake. You were not freed from
slavery to go to jail. Young students did
not sit-in at lunch counters in the 1960’s so
you could “sit-out” of school in the 21st
Century. You were not granted gender
equality so that you might become a
“Boy’s Toy.” All this may seem to be
common sense, but if you haven’t seen it
or heard it before, then oops here it is, for
“Truth Crushed to the Earth Shall Rise
Again.”
You were made by a power much
greater than your own, and certainly
greater than that of your detractors and
your distractions. You and your maker are
a majority. You were created for such a
time as this; so whatever your goals, your
dreams, your passions; pursue them with
attitude, belief, and commitment; for we
each have a calling that if left
unanswered will become a challenge
unmet, a problem unsolved, an
opportunity missed, a dream and a
legacy unfulfilled, a link missing in the
chain of events that were meant to form
the history of the world.
We hope and pray that you enjoy this
issue of this newsletter, enjoy the reunion,
and enjoy safe travel as you return home
with a greater appreciation for family and
friends, a greater vision for yourself, and
plans to keep the dream alive!
- Henry Ford, Publisher
Synnia Solomon
Reunion Founder
The Hansie Solomon, Ford-Bryson Family Newsletter - July, 2013 News to inform, promote, inspire, and encourage the greatness within each of us
“Building a legacy today for generations yet unborn”
On-line at www.familyaffairnews.blogspot.com
CONGRATULATIONS to Nile Ford on his
graduation from Shaker Heights High
School. Nile consistently exhibits academic
excellence, strong leadership and has won
numerous awards. He is the son of Emmett
Ford and grandson of
Mattie Kidd pictured with
Nile below.
- NEWS BRIEFS Since July, 2012 -
Adam “Cecil” Ford: Installed as Deacon
Aaron Eddie Brown: H.S. Graduation
Barbara Williams: Masters from Cleveland
State University; became engaged.
Cecil Ford: Reenlisted in U.S. Navy
Chaz Mitchell - Published his 1st Book
Chavon Nicole Brown: Graduated from
Hampton University, Summa Cum Laude
Jasmine Hudson: H.S. Graduation
Larissa Moore: Named Minister in the
Mennonite Church
Nikita “Nicky” Panton - Founded Reflections
Custom Jewelry
Tina Elliott: Marriage to Stephen Hardaway
On-line at www.familyaffairnews.blogspot.com - Page 2 -
CONGRATULATIONS to
LitaRae Bradford, the
young lady with a
quiet, shy smile who
would probably have
never revealed this
award, but her son
author Chaz Mitchell
was on point when he posted this on
Facebook with the revelation “She's
certainly a STAR in everything she does.”
Lita is the daughter of Joyce Bradford and
granddaughter of Rebecca Ford.
The Family Affair is prepared and distributed
as a public service. For additional information contact
Henry Ford at successisyou@yahoo.com or 216-348-4612
One of the benefits of
being Cleveland Mayor
Frank Jackson is that
you get to pose with our
f a m i l y m e m b e r
LeShaun Spencer during
an event at University
Hospitals of Cleveland.
Relaxing for a moment
from planning the 100th
A n n i v e r s a r y
Celebration of the
Cleveland Municipal
Court, family member
Barbara Williams (left)
poses with Ohio
Supreme Court Justice,
Yvette McGee Brown
who delivered the
keynote address.
Family members Ron Andrew and Alexus Chambers
with President Obama and 1st Lady Michelle Obama
On-line at www.familyaffairnews.blogspot.com - Page 3 -
To meet Toby is a blessing that in the words
of The Temptations is like a “snowball rolling
down the side of a snow covered hill;” the
love just keeps “growing and growing.” I
first noticed this fantastic young lady at a
family reunion in Huntsville, Alabama. YES,
she is my cousin, but that isn’t what makes
me brag.
Early during that weekend, Toby
approached me in her typical “ice breaker
fashion” and proudly introduced herself as
“Willie Ann’s granddaughter.” If you know
Willie Ann, you get a sense of why Toby is
so dynamic. Her forward and personable
introduction caught me off guard,
because so often reunions become
“spending time with who we already
know.” That’s not a criticism but an
observation. People are simply more
comfortable with who they are familiar
with.
Toby is a young lady not afraid to step
outside the box and reach across
generations and the unfamiliar to make
and grow friendships. Later during the
reunion, it was Toby who served as Mistress
of Ceremonies during the Family Banquet.
It was clear to those in attendance that
she was an excellent choice.
Fast forward to today, and we find a Toby
who has endured some major health
challenges that have her on dialysis and
awaiting a possible kidney transplant.
The thing that has not changed about Toby
is her laugh and her warm personality.
Always thinking about the needs of others
seems to be her unspoken motto. During
our conversations, she shared with me the
idea of attempting to raise funds to help
offset medical expenses for herself and her
likely donor. After reflecting on the idea,
she announced that she felt so blessed by
her support system, that she believed
others to be more worthy of the limited
financial support available from donors
(WOW!). No matter what I write, that last
sentence tells it better.
When you find that Toby’s likely kidney
donor is her younger brother Jermaine, you
begin to understand that the love is shared
throughout this magnificent family,
including her brother James, her cousin
Wesley, her mom and so many others.
Toby shares her feelings publicly on
Facebook and on her blog at
www.tobyholiday.blogspot.com.
Congratulations to Toby and her family;
and our prayers that they will be watched
over, comforted and healed.
The only thing bigger than her personality is her heart
Toby’s favorite photo (with her children) testifies to
her “talk” and her “walk”
The hope of a generation at the crossroads of danger and
opportunity; an excellent example for generations yet unborn.
Y ES, he is a poet, and
he certainly must
know it. You won’t know from his attitude
(because it is a good one), but it is
revealed by his aptitude. While many are
impressed by his intellect, he draws many
more for his great respect. Into his mind
comes information, and from his heart
flows inspiration. A speak-off against this
brother I am not looking for, because in my
face the audience might well shut the
door.
What a pleasure it is to be in the presence
of Jason Moore, aka Young Poet. While
my personality, training and passion tends
to minimize my prejudging of others, the
Young Poets’ quiet and calm demeanor
hides what I describe as an awesome
power within. With a face of youthful
innocence, a clean-cut appearance, and
respectful interaction, one might tend to
underestimate, categorize and mislabel
him.
Author Stephen L. Carter wrote that “To be
born black in America is to be born in a
box. It is a box not of your own making.
On that box is a label. It is a label not of
your own choosing.” The Young Poet has
stepped out of that box and is creating his
own label. His wise and passionate
messages are educating and changing
lives across the nation.
Y oung Poet and his message are
needed for such a time as this. And
what time is it? It is a time when despite the
sacrifices of generations that preceded us,
many young people are being lost
prematurely to drugs, alcohol, disease,
penal institutions, and the cemetery. Many
others, appearing physically well and
mentally stable, are underperforming and
operating well below their potential.
If the thought of these incalculable losses
disturbs you, please understand that the
losses are not confined to the individuals
I’ve referred to, but also affect their future
generations; the impressionable young and
others yet unborn. Harold Melvin and The
Blue Notes would say it like this; “Wake up
everybody, there’s a train a coming . . . ’.
Get on board and tune in to the messages
of Young Poet and others of his generation
that are sharing positive messages of hope,
doing things that are hopeful, and avoiding
things that cause us to feel hopeless.
For additional information and messages
from Young Poet, please visit his site at
http://www.yp313.blogspot.com/.
Jason Moore
On-line at www.familyaffairnews.blogspot.com - Page 4 -
You see things; and you say, "Why?"
But I dream things that never were;
and I say "Why not?" ---
George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)
Irish Playwright
Above Right:
Zaria and Zha’Monet are
soaring like eagles as
shown in this in-flight
photo.
Lower Right:
Zaria and Zha’Monet are
fashionably dressed for
“Dancing the afternoon
away.”
On-line at www.familyaffairnews.blogspot.com - Page 5 -
To the Hansie Solomon Family SOAR as individuals. RISE as family
CONGRATULATIONS On your 40th Annual Reunion
And BEST WISHES from
Eagles of Success International www.eagles-of-success.blogspot.com
CONGRATULATIONS to Zaria Gray, a 6th
grader at Statesville Middle School, for
being on the A/B Honor Roll for the entire
school year and receiving the 6th grade
Science award.
CONGRATULATIONS to Zha’Monet Gray, a
3rd grader at American Renaissance
Elementary School, for being on the A/B
Honor Roll for the entire school year and
receiving awards in Music and Chorus.
These dynamic sisters share more than
academic success. Both are in their school
chorus. Zaria is active in Girl Scouts as a
Cadet, and Zha’Monet is scheduled to
move from a Brownie to a Junior Girl Scout
in June, shortly after our publication date.
These two young ladies are also remarkably
consistent. For several years Zaria and
Zha’Monet have displayed remarkable
academic achievement and deep civic
involvement. Certainly we applaud them
and their proud parents, Jarrett and Ebony
Custer Gray. The parents make sure the
girls gain life experiences, such as their flight
with a co-worker,
and the Father
Daughter dance
sponsored by Iredell
County Girl Scouts.
World Travelers
Don and Peggy Singleton added to an
already long list of travels as they visited
Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates,
India, and I probably missed something.
They shared a few photos that can be seen
at www.familyphotos.successisyou.org.
CONGRATULATIONS to Brooklyn Pratt on her
graduation from middle
school and being accepted
into the Internat ional
Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma
Program for High School. This
fantastic young lady began
taking high school classes
while still a student in middle
school. Brooklyn’s recent
awards include All Honors 8th Grade
Academics, High School Science and
Geometry 10th Grade level (both passed
both with an A), and student choice Best
Dressed. We join Brooklyn's parents Marcus
Sr., Gabrielle and Clarice Pratt, and
grandparents JoAnn Ford and Rasool
Jackson in wishing her the best.
On-line at www.familyaffairnews.blogspot.com - Page 6 -
CONGRATULATIONS to Camille McKoy. The
high achieving second
grader has made the Honor
Roll every quarter. She is a
s t u d e n t a t I m a g i n e
Foundations Public Charter
School in Upper Marlboro,
Maryland. Camille is the
daughter of Bonita Pratt and
Felton McKoy. They are
extremely proud of her and have these
words for her; “Keep up the great work!”
Camille is also the granddaughter of JoAnn
Ford and Rasool Jackson.
to Family and Friends From Henry & Dianne Ford
CONGRATULATIONS to Cairo Cumberlander who recently graduated
from Campbell High School in Smyrna, Georgia. She will be attending
Clark Atlanta University in the Fall. Cairo is the granddaughter of the late
David Cumberlander, and the great niece of Peggy Martin and Phyllis
Cumberlander.
On-line at www.familyaffairnews.blogspot.com - Page 7 -
CONGRATULATIONS to Monique
Jackson who has been accepted to
attend a special convention of
Jehovah’s Christian Witnesses in
Portugal this summer. Monique’s
four week adventure shall include
visiting France, Italy, and Spain as
well.
Monique recently gave a classical
performance entitled, "Poetry of the
Air" at AUSTINVENTURES STUDIO
THEATER located in Aust in,
Texas. The repertoire included
classical music composed by
Gounod, Donizetti, Verdi, Mozart,
and Saint-Saёns. Dr. Gustavo
Bianchi who has enjoyed a
distinguished international career
provided piano accompaniment for
the well received event.
Monique Jackson is a classically
trained soprano with a five octave
range. She is the granddaughter of
Mattie Jackson and daughter of
Kelvin and Arlene Jackson.
CONGRATULATIONS to
Breyanna Mikel on her
latest accomplishment
as a new member of,
"Sigma Gamma Rho,
Inc." Breyanna is the
daughter of William &
Sharon Mikel.
CONGRATULATIONS to
Malik Vinson who
recently graduated
from High School. We
just happened to
discover this on
Facebook so we have
no further details.
The Family Affair Is prepared and distributed
as a public service.
For additional information
contact Henry Ford at
successisyou@yahoo.com
or 216-348-4612
Horizon Science Academy
Student Spotlight
CONGRATULATIONS
to Rashona A. Moss,
who graduated this
past May with a
Masters in Biomedical
S c i e n c e s f r o m
Philadelphia College
o f O s t e o p a t h i c
M edic ine-Georg ia
campus. She will be
attending medical
school in August at
the Philadelphia
C o l l e g e o f
Osteopathic Medicine. Rashona plans to
practice internal medicine and may
consider specializing in cardiology. Her
purpose for pursuing a career in medicine:
”I would like to construct a medical
platform that would help implement
healthy lifestyles in the community,
particularly in underserved areas.”
Rashona is the daughter of Annette Moss
who is daughter of Pearl Banks.
CONGRATULATIONS
to Janice Temple on
celebrating her 30th
year as a registered
nurse at Emory
University Midtown
hospital in Atlanta,
Georgia. Janice
works in the intensive
care unit caring for
open heart and
thoracic patients,
where she is a shift nurse manager. Janice
has been the nurse of the year in her unit
for the last 3 years. She was nominated as
nurse of the year for the March of Dimes
celebrating nurses and Atlanta Journal
Constitution. She enjoys helping people
and making them comfortable,
On-line at www.familyaffairnews.blogspot.com - Page 8 -
Y ou can’t keep from
smiling when you
look at Zion Malik Primas,
born Feb. 20, 2013 to the
parents of Tanisha Moss
and Nicholas Primas in
Milledgeville Georgia.
Tanisha is the daughter of
Annette Moss who is the
daughter of Pearl Banks.
CONGRATULATIONS to the parents on such
an adorable bundle of joy.
Thank you to Janice Temple for sharing this
information Janice is a long-time, faithful
and consistent attendee at family reunions,
sacrificing to be certain that she and her
family stay close to extended family. Thank
you also to Pearl Banks, who obviously set
high standards and had great expectations
for her family. Pearl is the daughter of Irilla
(Nick) Little, daughter of Hudson Rivers, who
was the son of Sarah Ann, who was the
daughter of Hansie Solomon.
Rashona (right) with proud
grandmother Pearl Banks
Bertram & Willie Gardner
Citizenship Awards
With the passing of our godmother Willie
Gardner, aka “Ma Gardner” on June 2nd,
the family lost a dedicated and
passionate supporter. Ma Gardner was
the widow of Bertram E. Gardner, who
chaired the Synnia Solomon Scholarship
Fund at its inception in 1984. Because of
their longtime support of our personal,
family and professional goals, we are
considering the establishment of the
Bertram & Willie Gardner Citizenship
Awards. More information will be
forthcoming at a later date.
- Henry & Dianne Ford
Serving Family
and Community
O ne page is not
enough space to
share the positive impact
Jeff & Liana Lewis have on
family and community.
We are blessed that they were a part of the
planning of this reunion. I was drawn to
write this article because during the reunion
registration process, several people
commented to me of how warm and
friendly Liana was, regardless of what
challenge was thrown her way. After
reading the article below, one realizes that
Liana is no stranger to high pressure and
comforting others. These are certainly
assets when planning a reunion. Her work
ethic in the community and passion toward
others has benefitted the family. And in the
Lewis Household, her husband Jeff also
knows how to “take care of business.”
On-line at www.familyaffairnews.blogspot.com - Page 9 -
Jeff is the highly respected
owner of Cleveland area
business JB Lewis Enterprise .
B e c a u s e h e h a n d l e s
emergency situations in
a d d i t i o n t o s t a n d a r d
remodeling and repairs, he is
often called upon to be a
calm and workable solution in
high-pressure situations.
You can find a list of Jeff’s services, photos
of finished work and glowing feedback
from satisfied clients on his web site at
www.7lookup.com/handyman. Those in
need of quality Home Improvement
Services and Home Repairs (routine or
emergency) can also text Jeff at 216-376-
1740.
The fantastic couple are members of the
Imani Church in Euclid, Ohio led by Pastor
Michele Humphrey.
Jeff & Liana Lewis
ON YOUR UPCOMING FAMILY REUNION !!!!
To the youth first as our next generation to run the country, and to the adults who have inspired, motivated, and been a role model. Celebrate who and what each of you are, take a look inside, love yourself unconditionally, love others as yourself, see the good in each and appreciate your uniqueness.
You have a most unique, awesome, inspirational, motivational individual as a relative. Henry Ford! There is no one like Henry, he gives, gives, is passionate in being, giving, sharing, motivating, and helping others to be the best they can be. You have a gift, jewel in your midst. Listen, take heed and be lifted to your Highest Potential of Greatness.
I would like to leave this meditation with you to help you be, become, do, have all that God has Created you to be, become, do and have. Go forth into the World and share your Gift.
TIS THE SEASON OF THANKSGIVING, LOVING, GIVING AND SHARING YOUR GIFT
LOVE – LOVE YOUR SELF UNCONDITIONALLY, LOVE OTHERS AS YOURSELF. HOW DO I
EXPERIENCE LOVE? LOVE IS LETTING GO OF FEAR.
Each day ask yourself, do I want to experience peace of mind or do I want to experience conflict?
WHAT ARE THE FEARS THAT KEEP US FROM LOVE, LOVING, AND BEING LOVED?
Feeling inferior, insecure, doubt, concern what others think, being vulnerable, lack, limitation, judging,
guilt?
To have inner peace and to experience love, we must be consistent in practicing the law of demonstration
which is utilizing right thoughts, words, feelings, actions and reactions.
FORGIVENESS is the key to happiness. Let it go, quit giving it time and emotional energy. When you
forgive you are setting a prisoner free. That prisoner is you. When you don’t forgive it’s easy to become
what you hate. See yourself and everyone as blameless. If our state of mind is one of well-being, love
and peace, that is what we will project and therefore experience. Jane Roberts, “that which you focus
your attention on expands and becomes your reality.” What is my reason for being? What is my purpose
to fulfill?
GIVE – Give to yourself what you need. In giving you receive. All that I give, I give to myself. Giving
means extending one’s love with no conditions, no expectations, and no boundaries. Peace of mind
occurs, when we put all our attention into giving and have no desire to get anything from or to change,
another person. The motivation to give leads to a sense of inner peace and joy. If we desire peace of
mind, it is essential that our communications with others bring about a sense of joining. We can do this
by showing and expressing empathy for our fellow man. When our motivation is getting, this leads to
conflict and distress. Practicing mindfulness - Think about our thoughts before they become an action.
This takes work.
SHARE YOUR GIFT – Gifts, talents, time, express the passion within you. Be true to your own heart.
You cannot please everyone. Share what’s in your heart.
With Enthusiasm and Love
Burma D. Stewart Motivational Speaker, Author of “Spirit-Mind-Body,” National Time to Teach Trainer butmadstewart@hotmail.com
On-line at www.familyaffairnews.blogspot.com - Page 10 -