Community
The Echo Project

Little Carver Civic Center to Host Screening of Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson’s The Echo Project
San Antonio Poet Laureate Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson will screen a taping of The Echo Project on Thursday, October 20 at 7 p.m. at the Little Carver Civic Center. This free screening, presented by the Department of Arts & Culture, is a recording of student poets reading their original works that were inspired by various notables who have influenced San Antonio culture. It was created during a week-long multimedia art camp at the Carver Community Cultural Center in January 2022.
“For years, ‘Vocab’ has served as a powerful and creative force in San Antonio, and that won’t change as we move forward,” said Patricia Muzquiz Cantor, Executive Director of Convention & Sports Facilities for the City of San Antonio. “The Echo Project represents her efforts to nurture the next generation of artistic talent in our community.”
During each Laureate’s three-year term, they are required to create a legacy project. The Echo Project is Sanderson’s signature initiative as the City’s reigning Poet Laureate. Sanderson, who has served as Poet Laureate since April 2020, will complete her tenure March 31 of next year. She is the fifth Poet Laurate in San Antonio’s history, following Carmen Tafolla (2012-14), Laurie Ann Guerrero (2014-16), Jenny Browne (2016-18) and Octavio Quintanilla (2018-20).
“Vocab’s term started just as the pandemic began to impact our community,” said Department of Arts & Culture Executive Director Krystal Jones. “Even as she faced all the uncertainties of the moment, Vocab quickly went into action and pivoted to bring art to all when it was most needed. She is versatile, authentic, influential and a true steward of the literary arts in San Antonio. We are honored to have her serve in this role and cannot wait to celebrate her contributions through the work of the youth involved in The Echo Project.”
Business
Bexar County Couple Offers Counseling & Mentorship Program

Community-based counseling is happening at Ken-Lyn Consultants and Associates, a vision Dr. Kenneth Brown and Dr. Lynda Brown had years ago. The couple is now considered a family counselor and life coach duo.
Ken-Lyn has been serving Bexar County since 2017 and has grown almost immediately from serving 3-5 clients weekly to serving 50-70 globally. One of their greatest accomplishments is their continuous “5-Star” ratings. Amazingly, of the thousands of clients that have chosen to write a review, they all have shared the same sentiment.
Dr. Lynda Brown is a product of the East Side, where her father, Dr. Walter Duncan, served as one of the leading dentists to Black clients. Her mom, Dr. Joan Duncan, spent 40 years as an educator and professor. Dr. Kenneth Brown’s mom was an office manager, church leader, and pianist in Southern Maryland.
The Brown’s services have taken them to faraway places such as Australia, Dubai, Italy, Hawaii, and Alaska. They travel to perform workshops and officiate weddings all over the country. The Brown’s business partner, Tiana Hill, is an Air Force veteran like Dr. Kenneth Brown. A University of Texas at San Antonio graduate, Hill develops all website and software programming, mentors the youth, and is also a parent in the program. Ken-Lyn’s associates and partners are specialists in their fields, such as nurse practitioners, military human resources, special education professionals, attorneys, doctors, pharmacists, information technology specialists, movers, mechanics, realtors, credit recovery, insurance brokers, and many more.
Ken-Lyn’s vast array of services is “everything family.” Their youngest client is four years old, and their oldest is 86. They have assisted over 110 students to get into four-year universities, helping them earn over $5.2 million in scholarships. Their clientele is diverse, from local families simply trying to keep their child in school to West Coast entertainers, East Coast politicians, doctors, lawyers, police officers, active military and veterans. They also serve as educational advocates during 504/IEP meetings from the school conference room to the Texas Education Agency and the Office of Civil Rights as needed.
Ken-Lyn Consultants and Associates has been where undergraduate psychology students come to “cut their teeth” and learn how to run a practice and market their services. As of spring 2023, 80% of their undergraduate interns have come from UTSA. Interns serve in the tradition of “camp counselors” as they aid students within the Ken-Lyn mentorship program.
They say, “We monitor grades. We aid them with everything from hygiene, makeup application, grooming, and college prep to cleaning and organizing backpacks. We help our mentees to discover themselves, despite the possible odds and misunderstandings they may face daily.”
This spring, Ken-Lyn has a busy community schedule while serving clients daily:
- Their office has recently expanded, and on March 23 at 6:30 pm, they will host a brief “Business Blessing Ceremony.” Dr. Otis Mitchell, pastor of Mt. Zion First Baptist Church, will officiate.
- On Thursday, March 30, the six-week “12 Steps Toward Communicating Better” workshop will conclude at the Windmill Ice House at 2769 Nacogdoches Rd, featuring artist Elizabeth Holmes and the Ken-Lyn Communicators Band.
- Their mentorship program will host female and minority pilots at the Boerne Stage Field, 100 Boerne Stage Airfield, on Sunday, March 26 at 5 pm.
- Other mentorship guest speakers this semester will include professionals in tech fields, professors, and adults who have turned their lives around for themselves and their families.
- Every semester, students in their program will tour at least two colleges. This semester, they will visit Our Lady of the Lake University and Texas A&M University at College Station.
To learn more about Ken-Lyn’s services, visit (KenLynConsultants.com) or call 210-761-4345.
Community
Celebrating 100 Years – Saleta Rodgers

On 26 February 1923, Saleta Wilson was born to Rev. Rufus and Odessa Wilson of San Antonio, TX. She was the second child of six siblings.
She attended pre-integration San Antonio Independent School District (schools: Cuney Elementary; Frederick Douglas Jr High and graduated from Phyllis Wheatly High School). Later she went to cosmetology school. Many San Antonians were grateful for her coiffeur skills.
A lot of her early years were spent at church, where the Wilson children learned Biblical teaching and developed a love of singing. Saleta was a member of Mt. Zion First Baptist, Friendship Baptist, and Mt. Pleasant Baptist churches. Her father organized Antioch Baptist Church in 1935; she was a charter member. He later organized Mt. Sinai Baptist Church in 1952, where she is a charter member and still attends today.
While serving in the military at Lackland AFB, Prince Rogers visited Antioch, where he met Saleta. In 1946 they united in matrimony. The union lasted until his death in 1989, almost 43 years. Upon completing his military service, the couple moved to Prince’s home, Mobile, Alabama, where two children were born, Kenneth and Jacqueline.

Saleta was an active part of the church community in Mobile. Along with her duties as wife/mother/sewing for herself and others, she united with Mt Sinai of Whistler, Alabama, and was active in their Sunday school, choir, and Mission Circle. The family returned to San Antonio after four years.
Following her parents teaching, “Don’t send them, Bring Them,” she made sure her children had a spiritual base for their lives. While working in the beauty shop, she accompanied her children at church and their various activities. Wednesday night Bible Study was a routine family engagement. At any baseball/football/basketball game, she could be found in the bleachers or somewhere in the area. This chaperoning continued with her grandchildren. She was an active PTA member. She was involved in home, neighborhood, church, and community and even worked the polls on election days.
Saleta is an excellent cook, but everyone’s favorite is her home-made dinner rolls. There are many fond memories of fabulous dinners with family and friends.
After retirement, Saleta worked as a substitute teacher for 14 years with SAISD.
She has opened her home for some who needed a place to live. Through sickness, pain, agony, headache, heartache, nursing, caring, and losses, Saleta has remained a devoted disciple of Christ. Through it, all of God’s business never suffered and was never cut short. As it gets late in her evening, her steps may be a little slower/shorter now, but she’s still about the Father’s business. She continues to believe “when praises go up, blessings come down.”
Black Life Texas
A Crowded Mayor’s Race

By Chris Dawkins
Feb. 17 was the deadline for candidates to file their intentions to run for an elected office. Election Day in San Antonio is Saturday, May 6, 2023.
Below are the City of San Antonio Mayor and City Council candidates. In a later magazine issue, we will include other candidates for school boards and other municipalities.
If you are a candidate in Bexar County and would like to be included in future issues of Black Life Texas, please submit a (75 word) description of your candidacy to; (CandiCandidate@BlackLifeTexas.com).
Here are the San Antonio municipal candidates:
Mayor (10) Candidates
Christopher Longoria, Ray Adam Basaldua, Diana Flores Uriegas, Ron Nirenberg*, Michael Idrogo, Armando Dominguez, Gary Allen, Christopher T. Schuchardt, Michael Samaiego
District 1 (10) Candidates
Sukh Kaur, Ernest Salinas, Jeremy Roberts, Lauro Bustamante, Mario Bravo*, Kaitlyn Folk, Roberto Rios Ortega, James Matthew Duerr, William T. Lamar-Boone
District 2 (10) Candidates
Carla Walker, Edward Earl Giles, Jalen McKee-Rodriguez*, James M. Guild, Denise Gutierez, Denise McVea, Wendell Carson, Patrick Jones, Rose Requeneq Hill, Michael John Good
District 3 (4) Candidates
Larry La Rose, Phyllis Viagran*, Jayden Munoz, Erin Gallegos Reid
District 4 (3) Candidates
Adrian Rocha Garcia*, Gregorio De La Paz
District 5 (3) Candidates
Teri Castillo*, Arturo Espinosa, Rudy Lopez
District 6 (2) Candidates
Irina Rudolph, Melissa Cabello Havrda*
District 7 (5) Candidates
Dan Rossiter, Marina Alderele Gavito, Jacob Chapa, Sandragrace Martinez, Andrew “AJ” Luck
District 8 (2) Candidates
Cessario Garcia, Manny Pelaez*
District 9 (5) Candidates
John Courage*, David Allan Lara, Jarrett Lipman, Dominque Lui, James Casey
District 10 (7) Candidates
Joel Scolis, Madison Gutierrez, Margaret Sherwood, Marc Whyte, Rick Otley, Robert Flores, Bryan R. Martin
* Indicates incumbent
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