Published: May 07, 2008 11:08 pm            

Seniors saluted by NAACP

Shoot for the extraordinary, Berea professor urges

Ashland — Challenging them to brave uncharted waters, a Berea College professor told high school seniors Wednesday not to settle for ordinary lives.

“A lot of us in our lives just sit by the dock of the bay ... there is a lot of reward in going beyond the harbor bar,” said William H. Turner, National Endowment for the Humanities chairman in Appalachian Studies at Berea.

Turner spoke to African-American seniors from high schools in Boyd and Greenup counties during the 16th annual Senior Salute of the Boyd and Greenup counties’ branch of the NAACP.

Turner, born and raised in Harlan County to a large coal mining family, is an expert in race and ethnic relations, African-American and Appalachian studies.

“Don’t judge a person from where you meet them,” he told the students. “Check out where they came from and then see how far they had to come to get to where they are.”

“He’s saying don’t just settle for what everyone else is doing,” said Paul G. Blazer High School senior Matt Thomas.

The NAACP hosts the annual salute to demonstrate to seniors the organization — along with their parents, friends and the community — supports them as they start their adult lives, according to branch president Ann Newman.

It’s also an encouragement to continue their education. Among invitees are representatives of area colleges and universities.

“We hope they will have a new perspective on where they might have opportunities to go, and that people are supporting them,” Newman said.

This year’s seniors include:

Troy Maurice Hush, Marquita Nicholle McCoy, Deanna Lizbeth Nall, Sharnece Rene Smith, Sintarri Eugene Taylor, Matthew Titus Thomas, Laisha Maria Ward, Tristan Lee Black, Shaliss Marie Chestnut, Tabatha Lynn Cosby and Chance Steven Green, all of Blazer; Jarrell Raymont Evans and William Danny Hamilton, both of Boyd County High School; Eric Jermaine Elder and Erica Elizabeth Page-Troxler, both of Greenup County High School; Antonio Jamal Bacon and Errol Kennedy, both of Russell High School; and Ramazani O. Amuri, Jessica Elizabeth Bryant, Lakeisha Hill, Jolisa Monet Jones, Darryl Edward Thomas and Theodric Christopher Tillman, all of Ramey-Estep High School.

“It means a lot to me,” Green said. “It means people recognize us for some of the things we do.”

MIKE JAMES can be reached at mjames@dailyindependent.com or at (606) 326-2652.

        

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