Community
New Head Of the WMS-AMEC
CENTRAL TEXAN DEBORAH TAYLOR KING BECOMES HEAD OF INTERNATIONAL MISSIONARY ORGANIZATION
Deborah Taylor King is the tenth elected International President of the Connectional Women’s Missionary Society (WMS) in the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AMEC). She and other newly elected officers began their official roles in an installation service Thursday morning, August 1, 9 a.m. -12 noon in Columbus, Ohio, at the 19th Quadrennial Convention of the WMS-AMEC.
The organization has nearly half a million members performing missionary work in 32 countries across 5 continents. More than 3,500 people gathered at the convention to conduct business and elect officers to serve for the next four years. King ran for office unopposed. But, that level of support was not surprising to those in the WMS. King has a strong reputation for always working in service to others, being a strong leader in inspiring teams to success and a woman who walks in faith.
King grew up attending public schools in Austin, graduating from the original L.C. Anderson High School. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Business from St. Edward’s University. In 2018, she received an Honorary Doctor of Humanities Degree from Paul Quinn College in Dallas for her service to the community. King is also a graduate of Leadership Austin and has received numerous awards for her community involvement.
She has over 30 years of management expertise acquired in her position as an Area Manager at AT&T/SBC in Austin, Corpus Christi and San Antonio. Through this, she learned the power of teamwork and purpose. She demonstrated vision and imaginative insight, while formulating plans and strategies for success. So she applied these skills in leadership roles in the community.
She has served as First Vice President (VP) for Professional Women of Southwestern Bell Telephone Company and as a loaned executive for the United Way, Inc. She was First Vice Chair for the Austin Area Urban League and a board member for Texas CASA. Currently, she is a board member and Vice President of the Austin Rosewood Community Development Corporation. She is a proud member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). She is recipient of numerous awards for her civic, community and religious service.
King is a lifelong member of Grant AME Worship Center in Austin and became involved with the WMS at an early age as a member of its Young People Division (YPD). As an adult, she has served the WMS as Local President, Area Chairperson, Conference and District 1st VP, District President, Connectional Research and Status of Black Women, Connectional 1st VP and now President. She is the proud wife of Charles E. King, IBM retired; mother of Travis and grandmother of Dezmond. In her new role, her office will be in Washington, D.C.
Art
Downtown SA Lights Up for the Holidays
Downtown San Antonio will sparkle this holiday season with an array of lights and holiday events.
Set against the backdrop of one of the city’s most historic and charming walkways, five blocks of Houston Street will buzz with twinkling lights, decorations, entertainers, and vendors from Nov. 24 and runs through January 2.
Additionally, on Nov. 24, kick off the holiday festivities with the Annual H-E-B Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at Travis Park. Festivities begin at 4 p.m. and include live entertainment, food trucks, letters to Santa, giveaways, holiday crafts, a special visit from Santa, and a movie screening of “The Grinch.” The tree-lighting ceremony begins at 6 p.m., followed by the movie at 7 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.
Get front-row seats to the 42nd Annual Ford Holiday River Parade, which offers a spectacular one-hour parade along the San Antonio River Walk starting at 6 pm at the Tobin Center. This year’s theme, “Holiday Stories,” will kick off the San Antonio tradition. Always held the day after Thanksgiving, the parade and river lighting ceremony will feature 28 illuminated floats and over 100,000 lights (2,250 strands) illuminating the River Walk. The lights turn on from sundown to sunrise every day until the weekend following New Year’s Day. Seating ranges from $15 to $40. It is broadcast live at 7 p.m. at the Arneson River Theatre.
The Rotary Ice Rink, presented by Valero, will also return this fall at Travis Park in downtown San Antonio. Since 2019, nearly 200,000 people have enjoyed the rink and surrounding festivities. For more information, including hours of operation, pricing, and specials, visit (rotaryicerink.com).
For more events, go to (VisitSanAntonio.com).
Black Life Texas
Carver Annual Fundraiser Dec. 2
The Carver Development Board presents the Cavalcade of the Stars on Saturday, Dec. 2, at the Henry B. Gonzalez Center.
This annual fundraiser benefits the Carver’s School for Visual & Performing Arts’ Artist Residency/Master Class Program, summer camps, Youth Matinee Series, and supports the education programs of the Carver Community Cultural Center. The title fundraiser is Valero.
The night will start with a reception and silent auction at 5:30 pm. Dinner is served at 6:30 pm, and the show begins at 8 pm featuring Kiland Kyham, also known as Mr. Houston. Kyham is a gifted and powerful author, singer, and songwriter. He has performed and produced with such music legends as Al Green, Stevie Wonder, Johnathon Butler, and Smokey Robinson. He has written over 400 song jingles and has produced numerous projects.
For over 75 years, The Carver Community Cultural Center (“The Carver”) has served as the San Antonio Eastside’s foremost gathering place of cultural exchange and performance arts. It was originally erected in 1918 as a community center for African-Americans. By the 1930s, the building was repurposed as the Colored Library and renamed the Carver Library and Auditorium in honor of Dr. George Washington Carver. From the 1940s through the Civil Rights Era, prominent African-American entertainers such as Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Louis Armstrong played at the Carver.
Individual tickets for the Cavalcade of the Stars are $250 or $2,500 per table. For more information, visit (TheCarver.org).
Black Life Texas
Free Native American Festival at the Briscoe
Highlighting the continued vibrancy and artistic traditions of Native American communities – and the local tribes who helped shape San Antonio – the Briscoe Western Art Museum invites everyone to enjoy its annual Yanaguana Indian Arts Festival on Saturday, Nov. 11, from 10 am to 4 pm.
The event is free and includes admission to the Briscoe, making it a perfect way to celebrate the vital role Native Americans played in shaping the West while enjoying art and artifacts that highlight Native American history.
The community festival features live performances, storytelling, artist demonstrations, pottery and carving, as well as Native American-inspired food, including REZR’vation Only, a food truck featuring Native American-inspired cuisine that is owned and operated by a registered member of the Navajo Nation. The event starts with a Native American spiritual blessing, followed by a ceremonial drum circle that invites everyone to join.
The annual event is named in honor of the Payaya people, who were indigenous to the San Antonio area. “Yanaguana” was the word they used to describe what is now known as the San Antonio River. The festival has been held annually since the museum opened, with 2020’s event taking place virtually.
To learn more, visit (BriscoeMuseum.org).
The Real History of Thanksgiving
Downtown SA Lights Up for the Holidays
Black Soldiers’ Convictions Overturned – A Century Later!
-
Black Life Texas4 weeks agoThe Untold Story of Native Americans Heritage Month
-
Black Life Texas4 weeks agoGet Ready for Fashionetta
-
Black Life Texas4 weeks agoBlack Veterans: Fighting Two Wars
-
Business3 weeks agoSan Antonio Airport Ranked #2 in U.S. by The Wall Street Journal
-
Black Life Texas3 weeks agoThe Historical Lack of Black Publishers
-
Black Life Texas4 weeks agoFree Native American Festival at the Briscoe
-
Black Life Texas2 weeks agoCarver Annual Fundraiser Dec. 2
-
Black Life Texas2 weeks agoThe History of Soulful Thanksgiving Sides