Page 9 - Florida Sentinel 8-23-16 Online Edition

Local
Church To Honor Its Musician Who Retired After 50 Years Of Service
MRS. SHIRLEY O’NEAL-SUTTON
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
As a young woman in her mid-20s, Mrs. Shirley O’Neal-Sutton took on the job of pianist for her church, Highland Missionary Baptist Church. Fifty years later, the church is going to honor her with an appreciation and re- tirement program. The pro- gram will be held on Sunday, August 28, 2016, 4 p. m. at Highland, 3410 E. North St., Tampa (33610).
At separate times, Mrs. O’Neal-Sutton spent 35 years at Highland, from where she retired, and 15 years at True Love M. B. Church as their primary mu- sician.
“I wasn’t like many musi- cians who moved from church to church. That was my church and I wanted to serve,” she says of Highland.
Mrs. O’Neal-Sutton
says a member of Highland (Mrs. Triplett) told her that the church needed a musi- cian. That started her career as a pianist.
“I can’t read music, never read music. I play by ear; it’s a gift from God,” she explains. As a child, her mother tried to give her music lessons. How- ever, the music teacher told her mother that every time she turned her back Shirley would be playing whatever she wanted. “My mother said if that’s the case, she wasn’t
going to waste her money. From then on, I’ve been play- ing by ear.”
Although she was a young woman, Mrs. Sutton said the thought never came to her to play secular music. I was all about gospel music,” the mother of 2 adult children (Billie {daughter} and Leroy O’Neal) said.
Mrs. Sutton says she played for all the choirs at Highland. Shortly before re- tiring, she gave up playing for the youth choir. “You know they like a whole lot of con- temporary music and I’m an old-time musician.”
While playing for all choirs and church events, Mrs. Sutton also main- tained a full time plant job until she fell and became dis- abled. Her disability and pay from the church sustained her livelihood.
“There comes a point in life where you have to step down – you’ve served long enough. So, I just stepped down,” she said of retirement.
“I never charged much, they didn’t have to pay me every time we went out; I wanted to be a servant and I never asked for a raise,” she said.
When asked what kept her at one church for so long, Mrs. Sutton said, “my faith- fulness. When they needed me, I was there,” she said. “I know I’m going to miss it, but I have a piano at home.”
Back In School, Students Have Much To Share Of Trip Abroad
The 88 student from Jesuit High School who traveled abroad.
Robert Morrison, III
was among 88 students from Tampa’s Jesuit High School who traveled abroad for World Youth Day 2016. They re- turned on August 5th after 19 days of travel. They were joined by Fr. Richard Her- mes, S. J., the President of Jesuit, and over 25 chaperones and student volunteers.
Morrison and the stu- dents visited Rome, Vienna, the Czech Republic and Krakow, Poland. While in Poland, they also visited the WW II concentration camps in
Francis.
An estimated over 2 mil- lion youth from around the world were in attendance. The objective of the trip was to pro- vide to the young men on the pilgrimage an opportunity to reflect on the blessings they have been provided and the impact of being "men for oth- ers."
Although the primary pur- pose of the Pilgrimage was not peaceful rest or entertainment, the trip included lots of fun ac- tivities. They include out- door/camp living, candlelight vigil, view of the Pope, worship service and train rides..
What Morrison and the others experienced is some- thing they will share a lifetime.
Robert, III is the son of Atty. Robert (Bob) Morri- son and Dr. Jacentha Buggs Morrison.
ROBERT MORRISON, III ...Preparing for 19-Day Pil- grimage
Auschwitz, Poland and had Church service with Pope
Black Women Voters Pitch
The AFL-CIO is making a “Black Women Voters Pitch” to stress the importance of African American women in this year’s election.
When African Americans vote, African Americans de- termine elections. This was true during the 2008 and 2012 Presidential elections, where historic surges resulted in African American voter turnout exceeding the per- centage of eligible white vot- ers who went to the polls for the first time in 2012. Accord- ing to the Pew Research Cen- ter, African American turnout in presidential elections has been steadily increasing since 1996. And recent data from the AFL-CIO—the nation’s largest federation of union workers—indicates that African American women, in particular, will play a signifi- cant role in this year’s local, state, and Presidential elec- tions.
To learn more about the power of the African Ameri- can women voters or to sched- ule an interview with the AFL-CIO’s Civil, Human and Women’s Rights Director, Carmen Berkley, please contact The Walker Marchant Group at 202.466.6040 or email me at grace@walker- marchant.com.
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