Dear Friends,

I bid you peace and prosperity on this special Dr. Martin Luther King’s Holiday!  I wanted to take advantage of this precious opportunity to share something personally with you, related to Dr. King and the occasion!

While writing this greeting I began to remembered the week-long events of the Lorraine Motel National Civil Rights Museum Dedication Ceremonies in Memphis, Tennessee in 1991, for which my husband and I volunteered.  The museum, which was previously the Lorraine Motel where Dr. King was assassinated, had been made into a memorial, dedicated to the Civil Rights Movement in honor of Dr. King.  Though it still saddens me to think about Dr. King’s death, I find immediate resound with thoughts of his life and legacy that demonstrates goodwill, justice, faith, and peace, and sacrificial love for humankind..

The Mason Temple ceremony on Sunday was an amazing and glorious time!  My husband and I worked on security and volunteer projects, respectively for assigned events.  We so enjoyed participating in the different activities as well.  All of it served as a wonderful way for us to help towards the cause, while showing our deep appreciation for Dr. King, and the so many others like Rosa Parks, Daisy Bates, Joseph Lowery Rev. Billy Kyles and Rev. Jesse Jackson—who were actually there as living legends.   In fact, Rev. Dr. Joseph Lowery was recently one of the speakers at the Dedication of the Martin Luther King Memorial in Washington, DC in October 2011.

For their sacrifice and service to better mankind; and helping to bring into fruition the hopes and dreams of so many ancestors who had gone on; whose prayers for their children still remained to be answered; for the steady fight for justice and freedom, we personally came to show and tell them thank you!  We also brought our children to say thank you, too!  My husband and I knew we were the beneficiaries of so many dreams and prayers being answered, and that came at the expense of so many who paid with not only their peaceful demonstrations, but their blood, sweat, tears, and even loss of life, too.  To them all we are grateful.

In our efforts to be a part of this special time and help make a positive difference, we  were humbled to think that we were able to serve alongside of so many great people with the same heart.  It was moving.  I was given the opportunity to serve as volunteer coordinator, and helped with coordinating the program at Mason Temple.  I also had been chosen to be a member of the NCRM Choir that was specially formed and commemorated for the museum, particularly for the week-long of festivities. 

An album entitled “March On” was also made at the Mason Temple event, featuring special guest celebrities such as Patti Austin, Olander Draper, and others attending the event such as Morgan Freeman, Cybil Shepherd, Mavis Staples, Raven Simone, Tennessee Gov. Ned McWherter, and Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton, to name a few.  Dr. Benjamin Hooks was the master of ceremony at the Mason Temple ceremony; and the first voice you'll hear on the "March On" album as he introduces the choir.

Songs on the album included “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sign (the Negro National Anthem), “Martin”, “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around”, Precious Lord, and more!  I will try to post the “Martin” song at TekeliaKelly.com soon.  Also, I plan to post some of the other songs from the album in the month of February for Black/African American History.  At that time I’d like to include Negro Spirituals, another type of song I love, and taught to me by my mother.   Spirituals are such a beautiful and rare art form today.  They're messages are powerful and meaningful—and most times are related to slavery. They encourage and enlighten and strengthen.  They also offer invaluable insight into American history.

The NCRM grand opening ceremony celebration honoring Dr. King was a powerful, once in a lifetime experience and  opportunity.  And so is every day of life that we are blessed to see--a powerful, once in a lifetime experience and opportunity. To serve and make a positive difference in this life--at home, work, church, school, in our businesses and in the community, this is how the dream is kept alive.  Let us continue to practice peace, love, goodwill, and justice for all in our lives--whenever, wherever, and however we can. 

Now that TekeliaKelly.com is up and running, with original songs copyrighted, made into MP3’s, and published at BMI, I am excited about stocking the store at TekeliaKelly.com with these songs and more!  I’m also looking forward to covering some of the great American standards of 20^th century legendary and history-making songstresses like Lena Horne, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Mahalia Jackson, Dorothy Dandridge, Ertha Kit, Abby Lincoln; all a part of my "She Sings” 1-woman shows, performances, and story-tellings.   

You are invited to visit www.TekeliaKelly.com to listen, share and even buy “timeless” classic music.  Drop by from time to time as we update the playlist periodically.

God bless you!

Tekelia