Mary Church Terrell Literary Club, Inc. celebrated its 20th Annual Literary Luncheon April 13, 2024, at the Hilton hotel in north Jackson. The affair also reinforced its 112th year of “Lifting As We Climb” with the awarding of six book stipends to graduating high school seniors Ariana Michelle Brumfield, Kaci Anna Clark, Jayla Arieanna Dunn, A’nyah Ellis, Hart Isaac Jefferson, and Makail Varon Morris. The social service organization is an affiliate of the Mississippi Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs, Inc. and Youth Affiliates, which upholds the national organization’s mission of civic and cultural engagement. Mrs. Mary J. Collier of Jackson serves as state president.
During the well attended event, which was hosted by youth advocate and tv anchor Maggie Wade Dixon, members paid tribute to its oldest club sister, Mrs. Ruth Hobbs, now 109 years young. Retired Jackson librarian Charlotte Moman was recognized for initiating the Mary Church Terrell Literary Club luncheon in 2001. Now living in Houston, Texas, Moman was instrumental in establishing the Margaret Walker Alexander public library and opening doors for Black librarians throughout the Jackson/Hinds Library System. Taking home the title of 2024 Woman of the Year was Mrs. Jacqualyn B. Staffney for her outstanding contributions to the club’s numerous service projects that range from feeding the unsheltered to youth mentoring.
This year’s luncheon speaker was author Pamela Samuels Young who won a NAACP Image Award for addressing child sex trafficking in her thriller, Anybody’s Daughter. Failure to Protect, which examines bullying, also received rave reviews, as has her latest title, The Law of Karma. Critics anticipate the book she co-wrote with Dwayne Alexander Smith, Sounds Like a Plan, to be released in July, will follow suit. Pamela is an attorney and tv news writer by trade, and is fond of being referred to as John Grisham with a sister’s twist. Music was provided by the Tougaloo College Jazz Ensemble and DeAnna Tisdale Johnson, a graduate of the prestigious HBCU.
The 2023-2024 members of Mary Church Terrell Literary Club, Inc. (not all pictured) are: Dr. Linda Anderson, Mrs. Annie Archie, Ms. Valerie Blue, Atty. Rhonda Cooper, Dr. Ramona Cork, Dr. Barbara Dease, Mrs. Alice Doss, Dr. Doris Ginn, Ms. Kisa Harris, Dr. Ursula Harris, Mrs. Dorothy Haynes, Mrs. Ruth Hobbs, Dr. Delores Hobson, Ms. Stacie Horton Moore, Dr. Debra Mays Jackson, Mrs. Gladys Marie Johnson, Mrs. Victoria Johnson, Mrs. Nsombi Lambright Haynes, Dr. Candace Love Jackson (luncheon co-chair), Dr. Preselfannie McDaniels, Ms. Laura Miller, Dr. Iely Mohamed, Atty. Darla Palmer, Mrs. Leona Richards-Bishop (luncheon co-chair), Dr. Barbara Richardson, Dr. Barbara Roby, Ms. Brendsha Roby, Dr. Jolanda Roby, Ms. Ruthie Sayles, Mrs. Alberta Smith, Mrs. Jacqualyn B. Staffney, Dr. Marian Talley, Mrs. Chris Tanner-Watkins (president), Mrs. Terryce Walker, Mrs. Tamarra Washington, Mrs. Gladys Wells, and Mrs. Lilla White. (Photos: Jay Johnson)
