BLACK HISTORY MONTH is filled with memories and examples of those who have made a difference in the lives of African Americans. Looking around Toledo, there are many reminders such as the Martin Luther King Jr. bridge, the Rosa Parks highway, and the Frederick Douglass Community Center. There are also several local Black organizations that have made a difference, such as the Study Hour Club and the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Boule men’s group. Many are more than 100 years old. Individuals in the jazz community are renowned as well, including the late Art Tatum, Jon Hendricks, Claude Black, and Clifford Murphy. Jean Holden Hanna and Ramona Collins are still out and about wooing audiences with their silky voices.
THE NATIONAL Association of Negro, Business, and Professional Women’s Clubs, Inc. was started in 1935 by seven women, after two of them started a chapter in 1928 in New York City. The non-profit organization is headquartered in Washington, according to its website.
It focuses on improving the quality of life in local and global communities through leadership, entrepreneurship, technology, and service with initiatives in health, education, employment, and economic development for its members and youth…