Excerpts
from the Preface, written by Verna
S. Cook, Ph.D, National President
of BISA
"During
our 15 years of operating, BISA
has saluted 181 black women through
its annual calendar. In 1986 and 1990,
BISA published its first two
books, Distinguished Black Women
1981-1985, Volume I and Distinguished
Black Women 1986-1990, Volume II.
Those books included the 121 women
that BISA had honored in its
first ten annual calendars. Today,
the same as in 1986 and 1990, BISA
is unswerving in its commitment to
chronicle and herald the outstanding
accomplishments of black women in
action, past and present. The women
chosen for the third book continue
to express BISA's commitment.
All of BISA's distinguished
women serve as role models and mentors
to members, scholarship students and
youth of all ages. These black women
help to empower us.
It is impossible to overestimate the
contributions and inspiration of these
women to our livelihood. BISA's
annual calendars, posters and books
are designed to educate and inspire
our young people for excellence through
continous achievement. Beyond all
that, we want to celebrate black women,
our heritage, our forebears. They
are the perpetuators of black heritage.
These women, selected from among many,
are maps of excellence. It is through
their support of our mission, goals,
and programs that we were able to
market products (calendars, posters,
books and poems) that provide the
primary source of funding for the
national scholarship assistance program...BISA
proudly acknowledges that distinguished
Black women were here yesterday; they
are here today and they will be here
tomorrow. "
Prologue, written by Charlotte K. Brooks,
Ph.D
Alice
Walker speaks wisely in In Search
of our Mothers' Garden when she
writes , 'The world is not good enough
- we must make it better. But it is
a great time to be a woman. A wonderful
time to be a black woman...because
the past is studded with sisters who,
in their time, shone like gold.'
And BISA celebrated these sisters,
these black women, in yearly calendars
and books published at five-year intervals
for fifteen years. For the first book
in the series, representing the years
1981-1985, I wrote about black women
in the world; in the second, for 1986-1990,
I chose to use black women in the
universe as my theme. In this third
book, 1991-1995, I want to move back
from the universe and the world to
a smaller sphere where black women
have always made a difference - their
communities.
These last five calendars include
many women who have had great influence
in the various communities which they
represent. And by "communities" I
do not mean merely a geographic neighborhood
-, a place upon a map. In addition
to that important kind of community
- which I do include in this essay
- other kinds of communities which
I wish to cite are the communities
of the arts, the intellect (inclusive
of education and science) and politics.
The community of artists is a very
large one in which black women have
always played outstanding roles. Among
these are performing artists Jessye
Norman, operatic and concert diva;
and Ella Fitzgerald, "First Lady of
Song". Debbie Allen, actress and choreographer,
is an inspiration to other talented
young women. Rita Dove had tremendous
influence upon the community of writers
as she invited authors, including
poets, to appear on programs during
her two years as Poet Laureate Consultant
at the Library of Congress. Also in
the writing community are Margaret
Walker Alexander and Alice Walker,
both novelists, essayists and poets.
Elizabeth Catlett, sculptor, beautifully
represents the visual arts.
A key community in the black world
is the intellectual one, including
schools, universities and the disciplines
taught there. Dorothy Porter Wesley,
librarian, archivist and bibliographer,
contributed much to this community,
as do Vera White and Princess Dupont
Whitfield, principals of award-winning
Junior high schools, and Niara Sudarkasa,
president of the formally all male
Lincoln University. Science, one of
the intellectual disciplines, embraces
both astronaut Mae Jemison and former
Surgeon General M. Joycelyn Elders.
I have chosen last the political community,
which has such a powerful influence
upon all the others. Queen Njinga
of the African land now called Angola,
inherited her throne and ruled from
1582-1663, successfully protecting
her people from Portuguese invaders.
Hazel O'Leary, Secretary of Energy
appointed by President Clinton, declassified
fifty years of cold war secrecy about
U.S. nuclear weapons programs.
Elected black women include Senator
Carol Moseley-Braun of Illinois, and
congresswoman Carrie Meek of Florida
and Cardiss Collins of Illinois.
These black women, who inherited or
were appointed to or elected to their
powerful positions, cut across a number
of other communities as they influence
legislation and funding for urban
and rural neighbors, the arts, and
the libraries, schools and universities
of this nation.
Again, Alice Walker speaks prophetically
in In Search of our Mothers' Gardens:
'And I thought of the mountain work
black women must do ... we must work
as if we are the last generation capable
of work.'
The black women described in this
book are aware of the mountain of
work they must do. And they are doing
it."
Additional BISA Products:
-
Distinguished Black Women 1991-1995
- Vol. 3
-
Distinguished Black Women 1986-1990
- Vol. 2
-
Distinguished Black Women 16th Annual
Scholarship Calendar 1996
-
Poster - Hatshepsut
-
Poster - Njinga
-
Poem - Challenge of Black Women's
Heritage
- Speech
- "I Live"
Funds
from the sale of Distinguished
Black Women Volume III and all
of the above products help to support
37 students at the following predominantly
Black Colleges and Universities across
America, and the Washington, DC metropolitan
area:
- Bennett
College
- Bethune-Cookman
- Bishop
State College
- Chicago
State University
- Delaware
State University
- Fisk
University
- Grambling
State University
- Hampton
University
- Lincoln
University
- Medgar
Evers College
- Morris
Brown College
- Morgan
State University
- Philander
Smith College
- Texas
Southern University
- Tougaloo
College
|