Page 279 - From the Outhouse 4 -21

279 | P A T R I C I A R A E M E R R I T T W H A T L E Y

~ Mr. William and Mrs. Kitty Ellison ~

This five-star couple served Tajiri to the utmost. They worked tirelessly in every fundraiser. Mrs. Kitty, as she was affectionately called,

always offered her best to Tajiri. She constantly networked for us in every organization she knew. She was the hardest-working person
I have ever known. She knew everybody the world over and made every effort to herald Tajiri. She was the Ultimate Ambassador for

the Tajiri Arts organization.

Actually, Mrs. Kitty was a supreme team player. She never quit and nothing was impossible for her to conquer. In addition, her

husband, Mr. William, was encouraged to participate whether he was a Board Member or not. I remember a time when we were late

paying our light bill. Mrs. Kitty insisted that Mr. William leave his business in Kissimmee to go forty-eight miles into Sanford to pay
our light bill. And, while on the way, he was also asked to pick up a set design from the Orlando Opera Company and deliver it to the

Helen Stairs Theater. They were an amazing couple!

The Ellisons contributed remarkable service to Tajiri and never denied us anything we needed financially. They ensured that all our

written presentations to sponsors, the city, county, and state were the highest quality. They constantly strived for Tajiri Arts to
become nationally known through partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). This was an ambitious

goal, but very possible for Mrs. Kitty considering that she held membership in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the NAACP, the
Links, and was State President of the United Negro College Fund. We were on our way when she made a personal call to one of the

professors at her alma mater, Hampton University. She called Tony Brown, who was University Dean Emeritus and Professor of

Hampton University’s Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications. Tony Brown was also an American activist who
was a nationally-known writer, journalist, and the commentator of Tony Brown’s Journal, the longest running Black news program in

television history.