40 Years After

I still can't believe it has been 40 years! 40 years since one of the greatest flames every to light this earth was extinguished. I am in the process of reading the book "April 4, 1968" by Michael Eric Dyson. I am embarrassed to say it is the first book I have picked up that deals with the man, the myth, the legend. Although only half way through I am painfully reminded about how far we have come, yet how still so far we have to go. The book makes me question if we are still moving towards the Promised Land or have we stopped our journey because so many of us think we are there now.

One of the fundamental questions in the book is how would Dr. King view our progress after 40 years. Sadly I think he would give us a "D"at best. Many of the social and political ills he was fighting in the '60s are still prevalent in the 00's they are just dressed differently.

The other painful reality of the book is that Dr. King was able to function despite being under the CONSTANT threat of death. The man couldn't get up in the morning without thinking it might have been his last. How many of us could handle that type of pressure!

As I said I am only half way through but I would already recommend it to all if you don't mind Brother Dyson's verbosity every now and then.

Alumni Commentators

Several brothers publish blogs on the World Wide Web.

Ron Allen '75 writes occasionally for NBC's The Daily Nightly

Byron Harrison '77 has inaugurated a new, issues-oriented blog called Estrela Brilhante (Shining Star)

Anthony Powell '75 posts at T-Notes, a blog discussing issues relating to the integration of technology in education.

Spend time checking out these blogs.

Let's talk about issues

The use of photos and memorabilia has served as an entrée to this site. Seeing old friends and reminiscing good times is fun.

But this site is evolving.

Let’s talk about issues that matter to us. Politics, religion, education, sports, or Prep-related issues are just some of the subjects we can examine in conversations on these pages.

One member has called for comments on Barack Obama's campaign and the matter of race. Is gender an issue for Hillary Clinton? Are John McCain's recent gaffes involving his apparent confusion between Shiites and Sunnis intentional or a reflection of a candidate out of touch with important world issues?

Join the Blog
If you wish to contribute to the Ebony Club Alumni blog please email Tony with your email address.
* You will receive an invitation to join from the blog.
* You will receive an email with an embedded link. Click this link and you will be asked to either log in with your Google account or asked to create an account.
* Once you are a member you will be directed to your blogger dashboard.
The blogs you belong to will be listed.

The Changing Face of HAP - 1989

HAP looks a lot differently nineteen years after I attended as a student.

Call for Artifacts

Byron Harrison sent in this digital copy of an Ebony Club flyer. I have a photo of me wearing an Ebony Club tee-shirt. Do you have any digital renderings of Club memorabilia? Post it to the blog or send it in and I'll post it for you.

Celebration of Friends

Let's celebrate the lives of friends who have passed on to the next life. Remember them in stories and pictures.

Iram Lawrence '75, displayed a zest for life. His gregarious nature allowed him to interact with all types of people. Most times carrying a smile on his face or a song in his heart, this son of a preacher enjoyed having fun. Iram was one of several people who handled the music for the first few Ebony Club parties. He wanted to make sure that our parties were as good as rival parties given by students at Snyder and Lincoln. Some would say our parties were better. Iram played a huge role in creating this perception.

We miss you, Iram.

Let’s pay homage to our friends. If you have stories or pictures to share about Iram, Dwayne Jordan '75, Greg Gaston '75, or others please post them on the blog or leave a comment.

HAP 1976

My teaching career began with HAP during the summer of 1976.

Actually, the seed was planted during the summer of 1970 where I succeeded as a HAP student thanks to the likes of Mike Thomas, Mr. LaGrande, Ronnie and Pat Samuels and several others who shared their wisdom with us that summer. I made many of my life-long friends during HAP.

New: Visit the Ebony Club Wiki!

The Ebony Club Alumni Wiki serves as a repository of documents and visual media related to our history. Users can also set up areas for planning events on the wiki.

Currently, the site features the Ebony Club's original constitution and statement of purpose documents. Additionally, you will find two articles about the Club that appeared in the 70s editions of The Petroc. There are also photos and videos on the site.

The Ebony Club and HAP

The Ebony Club's history is intricately and intimately tied to the Prep's Higher Achievement Program. This bond stems from the fact that many of the initial members of the Club participated in HAP as students and tutors. The Ebony Club's original Constitution stipulated senior members of the executive committee would run Winter HAP. Several Ebony Club members became HAP teachers after graduating from Prep.

The most important reason for the existence of this link between the Club and HAP, however, rests with the late Rev. John E. Browning, S.J.

Fr. Browning began Jersey City's HAP program in the summer of 1964. His dedication and enthusiasm for Jersey City's African-American, Latino, and other diverse communities permitted him to form life-long relationships with many of us who became students at St. Peter's.

Brownings decision to serve as moderator to the Club in 1973 simply extended his relationship with former HAP students.

Some of us loved FB's input and guidance, while others chafed from his occasional stubbornness.

In either case, FB helped us realize our vision of creating a club that allowed us to take pride in our contribution to the Prep community. Our scholarship fund-raising parties collected thousands of dollars and became the talk of Jersey City in the mid 1970s. This success let members show the other popular high schools that we had something to offer for the teen-aged social scene in JC.

You will find several HAP pictures throughout this site or on sites linked to our blog. Currently, we are setting up a wiki to house documents like the original Ebony Club Constitution, Ebony Club Purpose Statement, and articles about the club published in the school's newspaper. Of course we want to feature more pictures. Does anyone have pictures of folks wearing their Ebony Club tee shirts? Send in your pictures.

HAP 1972

Thanks to Byron Harrison for sending in this photo.

UPDATE:March 17, 2008 I left out the right side of the picture by mistake.

Welcome! Ebony Club Alumni

At the urging of several members from the Ebony Club's formative years, I have set up this blog as a place for others to connect. This site will serve as our temporary home until we can set up a presence on the web. While my initial thought is to have all member serve as contributors, we may have to settle for folks commenting on my posts until I learn how to open the blog to each of us.

Drop in from time to time to read our musings.