Women Share Honor for Community Work

In keeping with the tradition of honoring elders in an African matriarchal society, five local women will be crowned queens Sunday at the fifth annual Black History Celebration.

“In the African tradition, the women of the village are honored and respected and held in high esteem,” said Barbara Perkins, founding president of the Valley chapter of the National Council of Negro Women, which is sponsoring the event. “And that’s how we feel about these women in our community.”

The women being honored as queen mothers for their longevity and their commitment to their community are Dorothy Bradford, Dorothy Caldwell, Dessa Robinson, Ida Kinney and Rosa Broadous, Perkins said.

The husbands of two of the women founded local churches, and all of the honorees are longtime volunteers.

“They are all over 75 years old and still active in their communities,” Perkins said.

The celebration, which also will highlight the contributions African American inventors and scientists have made to the world, will feature entertainment with an African American flair and local dance troupes and storytellers in traditional African styles.

“The purpose of this black history celebration is to bring together our community and to celebrate some of the wonderful things our culture has to offer,” Perkins said.

Organizers also bring young and old together to appreciate the contributions of the past, as well as to look to the future, she said.

“We try to bring them together so that our young people can see that we are honoring our seniors, and so our seniors can see that our young people really are doing something,” Perkins said.

The event will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. at Phoenix House, 11600 Eldridge Ave., Lake View Terrace. Tickets are $10 at the door, $5 for children 12 and younger.

For more information, call (818) 364-6770.