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Tahirah S. Mujahid: Encouraging Honest Life Changes

By Sheila Ferguson
This tribute is for one of Hough’s own, Mrs. Tahirah Mujahid, a coworker and colleague for over 20 years at both the Cleveland Urban Minority Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Outreach Programs (UMADAOP) and the Catholic Charities Corporation. Throughout her life, Tahirah served as a social worker and foot soldier in the war against community decline and poverty. To her credit, she has been a part of the positive uplift created by the late Councilwoman Fannie Lewis’ community services team, and Cleveland UMADAOP’s various family services, prevention, and recovery initiatives.

Mujahid passed on
Mujahid passed on June 19th of this year and was celebrated with Janazah, a Muslim funeral prayer, on June 23, 2023 at the Cummings and Davis Funeral Home. She is remembered as a loving daughter, sister, faithful wife, mother, grandmother, friend to many, and third-generation member of Masjid Bilal. As a local personality, who can forget her lively presence, exuberant laugh, and colorful wardrobe of bright hijabs and flowing kaftans? Her glamour was accentuated by her self-confidence and her flair for knowing just how to enter a room and then work it. Still, her inspiration and love of people and the community live on. Tahirah’s triumphant contributions and walk through this life bear mentioning.

The Early Years
Over the years she has been a certified instructor in the Center for Inclusive Child Care’s (CICC) effective Black parenting , and group leader in UMADAOP’s AKOMA Women’s Program. More recently, she served as UMADAOP’s Lead Community Instructor for the Multiple Approach Response Strategy Project, known as MARS. Through MARS she trained scores of professionals and families to prevent opioid deaths.

This graduate of the South High Class of ’71 raised three successful daughters Shahidah, Nathifa, and Chaya. As a working adult, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Capital University in 2004. Wherever Tahirah went, she was sounding the alarm on hidden community dangers, touching hearts, and telling personal stories of challenge and triumph, addiction and recovery, and a life of sober living. She did it to give others an “imagination and a vision” that recovery, healing, and growth are possible for us all only if we are willing to work at it. Angela Quinn, community social work manager of CMHA’s Community-Based Services Program, spoke with TCO about Tahirah’s life and contributions.

Quinn and Mujahid began their careers in child welfare and family preservation with the formation of the Department of Children and Family Services Program’s Family to Family Program in the late 1990s. Quinn recalls that from the start Mrs. Tahirah Mujahid was a fearless trailblazer and role model. Quinn also notes that after years of working in the field, ”Tahirah wasn’t just a colleague, she was a friend. We worked with the families in the Central and Hough communities,” she said. “So as women, we shared a strong faith and passion for advocating for people. And because of it, we shared resources, information, and ideas for betterment. Over the years we have been there for each other, especially in the tough times. Thankfully she said I got to repay the favor and be there for her daughters during her health challenges.”

A Growing Career of Service
Quinn says that Tahirah was a down-home take-no-prisoners “Big Mamma” type of social worker. She encouraged everyone’s growth by giving them a realistic assessment of their situation, insight into what was not working in their lives, and some helpful hints on the steps to victory. As frank as she was, she always spoke “the truth in love.”

In the worlds of child welfare and substance abuse recovery, she was a sure-footed guide to helping parents regain custody of their children placed in foster care and achieving recovery. Those successes came from Tahirah’s ability to candidly explain how a person’s negative behaviors and communication style impact their working relationships with family, case workers and supervisors, school principals, and judges. She was also a broker and bridge-builder who created solid working relationships inside the Department of Children and Family Services and with the residents of the Hough community. She also had a thorough knowledge of the Ohio Revised Code laws and the policies and procedures of the Annie E. Casey Family to Family Program. In recovery, she also knew every home group leader and sponsor across northeast Ohio who could help those mounting the Twelve Steps.

In serving the community, Tahirah demanded that all of her clients do the hard work of making “honest life changes.” It was her view that such honest life changes help us grow. So in her view, it is the magical key that unlocks doors to success.

Wisdom Learned and Shared
Since we are all on a journey, here is Tahirah’s recipe for “Making Honest Life Changes.”

STEP 1: Look at yourself in the mirror and give thanks to Allah or your Creator that you are here and have enough breath in your body to begin making some honest life changes.

STEP 2: Humble yourself by being thankful for the good stuff and good people in your life. Then ask the Creator for the strength to make all the necessary changes needed to live a happy and successful life. I am talking about changing everything from drugs, drinking, lying, quarrelsomeness, stinginess, poverty, thievery, a poor self-image, fear, aloneness, or the inability to speak up or stand up for yourself or anything else holding you back. She’d say, we all need to own what needs to be improved and take charge of ourselves by working the plan until it is second nature.

STEP 3: She’d also say that the solutions may include: entering therapy or treatment, joining an AA or NA recovery program, or joining an assertiveness training program, domestic violence class, mediation, exercise, Tai Chi, or spiritual practice group. Maybe this is the time to get a GED, choose a career, or earn a degree, certificate, or license. Taking on an honest life change can spirit you into a whole new way of living and make you a better person!

Thanks and blessings, Tahirah, for your wisdom.

Gurnese Smedley Turns 100 Years Old

By Bruce Checefsky

Ms. Gurnese Smedley was born to Ed and Hattie Delonely on Aug. 16, 1923, in Sheffield, Alabama. She is a God-fearing woman who accepted Christ at an early age. Gurnese is involved in New Bethel Baptist Church and was Sunday School Secretary for three years. She met and married James Johnson and had a beautiful daughter named Mary Gurnese Patterson, who preceded her in death. She eventually relocated to Cleveland and met and married her second husband, Mr. Jimmy Smedley. She has enjoyed traveling, cooking, and crocheting.

After her husband’s passing, Gurnese has been a resident at Kingsbury Tower in Ward 7 since 2012. She is an outspoken person and is loved by many. Over the past 100 years, Gurnese has shared her wisdom and experience with those around her. Her many contributions to her community and family are commendable and inspirational to others.

Entrepreneur: Larkins Closing One Door And Opening Another

By Sheila Ferguson

On July 29, 2023, Jacqueline Larkins officially retired as the Proprietor of Café Phix-Midtown in Cleveland’s Ward 7. Its location is in the upscale new building that houses Digital C and Café Phix at 6815 Euclid Avenue. The café is across the lane from the Tru Hilton Hotel on Euclid’s north side.

For Jackie, owning and operating coffee shops has been a labor of love for the last 20 years. More to the point, “It has been a journey,” she says, from the start-up of her first venture, known as The Phix on Mayfield Road in South Euclid-Lyndhurst, to the last five years at the Café Phix-Midtown. And now, she is preparing for a new adventure that involves teaching other women how to ply their talents as entrepreneurs.

Jackie’s life as a businessperson is no surprise to anyone who knows her. They will all tell you that she has always been a force of nature and one ready to answer the call for adventure. Her resume includes graduating from East High and signing on to the U.S. Navy. As a military careerist, she served diligently as a Yeoman specializing in business administration and management while traveling the world. However, at the close of her military service, she returned to Cleveland to be with her family and jumpstart her Corporate America career. Before becoming a café owner, she was a corporate events planner. In that job, Jackie created stellar corporate events and gatherings to salute the company and industry trailblazers, growths, and successes. The sheer enjoyment of meeting people and creating experiences for others made her start to dream about her future.

Soon her vision of opening a coffee shop came into focus. And it was not just an ordinary shop. Jackie envisioned an establishment filled with warmth and a spirit of welcome that connected people. In her mind’s eye, the space would convene all sorts of people. It would also be a place open to spoken word poetry, book signings, and the works of emerging artists. In time, she manifested that café space where customers were treated to delicious foods and beverages and a nourishing experience at the soul level. Making it happen meant endless hours of research, meeting with coffee merchants and shop owners, learning about the origins and flavors of the various coffees and teas, writing a business plan, going to conferences, pricing equipment, and embarking on the journey of Coffee Shop sustainability.

Throughout the glue has been Jackie’s imagination, tenacity, business know-how, bustling energy, captivating smile, warm energy, and genuine interest in people. Though the moment is bitter-sweet, she leaves the role of Café Owner with so many fond memories. Some of those highlights include:

  • Support and Engagement in the café’s first home community of South Euclid-Lyndhurst
  • Recruitment as a model woman-owned community business primed for duplication in the urban region.
  • Receipt of essential funding support with the gifts of a new facility; and equipment.
  • Embrace by Ward 7 and the metropolitan Cleveland community of residents and workers
  • Meeting Barack Obama during his Cleveland visit in 2016 at Burke Lake Airport; and
  • Hosting the Hillary Clinton team when they worked in Cleveland

Despite all of the blessings and good fortune, Jackie has weathered the COVID-19 pandemic. She recalls, “It almost sunk the business. Until then, the business was solvent and thriving with the support of her transient clients traveling to stay at the hotel and her regulars from the neighborhood, business groups, and those working at the surrounding businesses. She also noted that “without our mainstays purchasing coffee, pastries, and lunch fare, the café almost shut its doors in 2020.

Fortunately, News Channel 5 helped save the day by publicizing her services and the challenges created by the pandemic. As a result, she started to have customers lined up around the block. She also received loans from Cuyahoga County and the Payroll Protection Program to stay afloat. “Those funds,” she said, “allowed me to hire back an employee.” Yet she notes that it is still difficult to hire qualified and dependable staff, offer a sustainable wage, and manage as the day-to-day operations are covered.

At the end of June, Jackie sent out a press release. It detailed her next steps in community service. In 2022, Ms. Tenisha Gant Watson invited her to serve as a partner and consultant to the Community Resource Center and the Oasis in the City Conference and Retreat Center (“Oasis in the City”). This site is currently in the planning phase and is set to emerge as a crucial pillar in the Mt. Pleasant community.

The program aims to enhance the community’s quality of life, prosperity, and self-sufficiency. Jackie will collaborate with the Jordan Community Resource Center and its diverse group of partners, including the Cleveland Foundation, The Black Futures Fund, NEORSD, the United Black Fund, the Cuyahoga Land Bank, and the Saint Luke’s Foundation. As the program’s Hospitality and Community Enterprise Consultant, Jackie will help to build the program’s infrastructure through the design of curricula on economic self-sufficiency, hospitality skill-building, financial and budget management, personal development curricula, and a variety of skills training opportunities. Overall, the Oasis Program will address such urgent community needs as health, wellness, and wealth creation. To fulfill its aims, the center will serve as a hub for entrepreneurship and innovation, to provide space for start-ups and community-driven initiatives.

The Cleveland Observer Team wishes Jackie all the best!

Constance Hill-Johnson: A Servant Leader From Down the Way

By Sharon A. Lewis

Each year minority people from all walks of life achieve “firsts” and there is no doubt it will continue into the future. The tenure of Constance Hill-Johnson, the first African American woman to serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors for The Cleveland Foundation, began in April of this year (2022) and will run for two years. TCO wanted to find out who she is at her core, what she has accomplished, and what the future holds for her. Many people know her as the owner and managing director of Visiting Angels Living Assistance Services, a national franchise located in Cleveland, Ohio. Her agency is now in its 20th year. Visiting Angels provides services for the elderly ranging from companion assistance to dementia care and palliative care.

Mrs. Hill-Johnson was born and raised here in Cleveland, Ohio. She lived on Thornhill Drive in the Glenville Neighborhood with three siblings and dedicated parents that nurtured and pushed them all to succeed. She graduated from Collinwood High School and from Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech Communications. When asked what was the best advice her parents gave when she started college, Constance chuckled a little bit and said that her mother told her “to find some smart friends and to do what they did.” For instance, “if they go to the library, you go to the library; if they get a tutor, you get a tutor.” After graduating from CWRU, her first job was with Neighborhood Family Practice on the West side.

Her next position was with Merrill Lynch, first here in Cleveland, and then in Detroit, Michigan as an Institutional Sales Broker on an equity sales and trading desk. This is where she perfected the art of investing and saving her money. However, the earliest prompting on how to save money came from her father. She said if he was going to give you some money he waited until the last possible minute to remove it from his wallet and put it in your hand. She also remembers being taken to Society National Bank after getting her first job (at 13 years old) to open a savings account. Constance was told that she had to save something and that she had to give something to the church.

Fast forward a few years, Hill-Johnson earned a Master of Public Administration degree with an emphasis in Health Services from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. It was after 9/11 that she made a career decision to purchase her franchise with Visiting Angels Living Assistance Services. The biggest question at that time was where the best place to set up shop would be: St. Louis, where she had been working for a company called Service Masters, or Cleveland? After thinking it through, Constance decided to come back to Cleveland.  When most people start a business by purchasing a franchise, they must take out a loan, essentially starting off in debt. However, that was not Hill-Johnson’s situation because she had money saved up. The difficulty was simply having to write the biggest check she had ever written in her life. For two years Constance worked out of her mother’s basement and used the Border’s Bookstore at Severance Shopping Center to meet with clients. It was finally time to get an actual office and hire staff—which is how she landed in her current location at 12200 Fairhill Blvd.

Understanding that networking and giving back to the community is important, Hill-Johnson has earned many accolades and has been on many influential boards in the Cleveland area. In 2005, she was appointed by the Cuyahoga County Board of Commissioners to the Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging’s Board of Trustees, and is a Board Member of the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging. In 2007, she was nominated and selected as one of the Top Ten Women Business Owners in Northeast Ohio by the National Association of Women Business Owners. She also serves on the Board of Adults at Risk which is part of the Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry and the African American Outreach Committee of the Hospice of the Western Reserve. Hill-Johnson is a past co-chairman of the African American Philanthropy Committee of the Cleveland Foundation. She was also a 2017 Crain’s Women of Note Honoree.

Hill-Johnson’s work at Visiting Angels is a ministry. She works closely with family members and the elderly to guide them on a path that best fits their needs. From Living Wills to Power-of-Attorney documents, and sending in caregivers, there is a lot of hand-holding and comforting. Many of the caregivers are with the clients when they take their last breath. Hill-Johnson must have a heart for people to help them when they are most vulnerable.

From her experience, African-American families are the least prepared when it comes to end-of-life preparedness and is looking for a way to “get the word out.” It is not fair to leave it to your children and family. It should be done when you are able to express your wishes.

Hill-Johnson’s advice to today’s children and young adults whether it is a fourth-grade class or college seniors, “You can be whatever you want to be. Understand that college is not for everyone and that if you have a skill you need to develop it and be your authentic self. If you are good in sports and excel in [a particular] sport, that is great, but don’t put all your eggs there. America needs Black professionals.”

When approached about submitting her name as the potential Chairman of the Cleveland Foundation she was hesitant. Humbly she said, “Why me?” But she was told, “Why not you?” Constance submitted her name and the rest is history. Although on one occasion she was at a meeting and a young woman said to her, “You know how Beyoncé was the first Black woman to perform at Coachella? Mrs. Hill-Johnson, you are my Beyoncé!” She was floored and almost brought to tears.

Cowboy The Backyard Music Man

By Bruce Checefsky

Johnnie L. Mayhew has been deejaying music for more than twenty-three years. Known as Cowboy, The Backyard Music Man, he is a role model for his community. Mayhew’s influence on the youth is positive and constructive. His commitment to entertainment, community and food is real. “I spin R&B, Hip Hop, Blues, and Jazz, but I like to listen to country music,” said Mayhew. “The kids hang out while I grill and spin music. I show them how to draw hopscotch, and play marbles with them. Stuff I learned when I was young.” He welcomes whoever wants to talk to him, asks them questions to get to know them, and makes people feel valued. It gives folks a good feeling about themselves.

While growing up, Mayhew loved listening to Cleveland radio station WJMO, which was founded by former Cleveland mayor Ray T. Miler. WJMO played popular music by The Temptations, Ike & Tina Turner, Wilson Pickett, and others. But American country music artist Blake Shelton is one of his favorite musicians.

Also known as the Godfather of Hough, Mayhew got his start spinning music while grilling outdoors at his residence on Hough Avenue. The more music he played, the larger the crowds. He got the name Cowboy back in the 1990s when he began dressing as he does now, in jeans, western shirt, vest, cowboy boots and hat, with a bold western belt buckle. Eventually, his talents took him on the road. Now, he plays at venues across Cleveland where he spins R&B and HipHop, with some of his favorite cowboy songs mixed in.

Mayhew served two tours in Germany during his sixteen years in the army. He gained an occupational specialty working with radio and broadcasting. He learned about electronics and music amplification in the army and uses that experience today. Mayhew is also a retired state-certified nursing assistant, completing a comprehensive nursing program in just two years, and worked at Huron Road Hospital in the Special Intensive Care Facility for over ten years. He has since retired and started grilling. The rest is history.

“I watched a generation of young people come up during the last twenty-three years. I like to talk to them. They come to me with their problems, and I listen. I do my best to guide them in the right direction,” he said. “God gave me a heart and mind to freely give back to the community.”

Cowboy The Backyard Music Man can be hired by calling 216-315-9298 or visiting or http://cowboythemusicman.com.

It Takes A Man!

By Melvin Twigg Mason

At the start of his business, Peter Harwell never imagined that he would be celebrating 47 years of barbering, especially in the same neighborhood he started in back in 1975. Nor had he planned to be a mentor and father figure to so many. Through 47 years, Harwell didn’t just cut hair: he taught boys to be men and taught men how to become entrepreneurs. As he explains, “My faith, my grace, and my love all go together to make [my relationship with the community] work for the best.” Because of this extensive and ongoing relationship, a portion of East 131st St. in Garfield Heights has now been dedicated as Pete Harwell Parkway. So far, Harwell is the first and only African-American to be honored in this way in the history of Garfield Hts.

Harwell’s Barbershop is located at 4516 E. 131st Street in a once self-contained community with its own drugstore, surplus store, car dealership, Army/Navy store, and movie theater. On July 30th of this year, Harwell and his shop were celebrated with the renaming of the section of 131st St. nearest his business.

Harwell is a respected man in his community and is said to be a man with swagger and style. Many who were interviewed said he is always dressed to the 9s, even under his barber’s smock. Terrence Montgomery, who was a regular patron in his youth, says, “Harwell cuts hair well! So well in fact that it was a common sight in his heyday to see a line of males waiting to be groomed by Pete.” You would have to get a number and wait 3-4 hours to get a haircut. “Even though he had 2-3 other barbers on-premises, guys would still rather wait in line for Pete.” Haircuts are always within your means at Harwell’s Barbershop. One resident, who has lived in the neighborhood since 1969, says “He just wants a place where the community can still come and get [an affordable] haircut.”

Another common theme is that Pete is kind, personable and a father figure in the neighborhood. He’s a man of integrity and a spiritual man, a deacon at Harvest Baptist Church for years. The resident mentioned above also told TCO, “He was a good barber and a good person. Pete was always the guy you could talk to, and he would try to give you the best direction in the world.” He didn’t have to instigate these deeper conversations, “there was just something about him that made folks (kids and adults) want to open up to him.”

Both common citizens and prominent politicians spoke highly of Harwell at the unveiling of the new street name, including the Councilwoman for Harwell’s Ward 1, Stacey Collier: “We are legacies here. We are leaders because of Pete and the businesses in the neighborhood. It was the barbershops, the beauty shops, and the churches of our community that made sure we [as a people] were okay.” Harwell’s State Representative, Shayla Davis, a surprise attendee to the unveiling, said, “Growing up here in Garfield Hts., you couldn’t have lived near 131st Street and not known Pete. And it is because of what [he’s] done that I am able to be at the statehouse representing all of us today.”

Julius Watson IV, the chief organizer of the event, spearheaded the project to honor Harwell and organized the christening celebration. He made Harwell a promise to do whatever he could to get the street renaming done, and this effort has been in the works since 2019. “My family moved here in 1972. There was a total of about 10 blocks that were predominantly made up of Black families. Mr. H. was my first barber in ‘75. Pete was like a father to all of us in the community. He taught us to stand tall, be proud of who you are. He always greeted us with a smile. He would always speak an encouraging word.” When it came to men newly released from prison, Watson says if they showed an interest in barbering, “Pete wouldn’t just teach them to be barbers, he taught them to be men, how to treat people, and how to run their own business.” When asked what’s the moral of the story from today’s celebration of this man, Watson repeated what he learned from Harwell all those years ago: “Never shortchange yourself on who you are and what you are. We as African-Americans limit ourselves because people tell us ‘You can’t!’ But we can do anything — under God.”

Matt Burke, the incumbent mayor of Garfield Heights, closed out the celebration by saying, “It’s because of [events] like this, celebrating you [Harwell] and how you’ve touched this community, that’s something that WILL bring this community together.” “This shows what this man means to all of us,” Watson concluded. His motto for Harwell continues to be “It takes a MAN…to teach a man…to be a Man. And (pointing at Harwell) that’s a man right there!”

‘Nuff said.

Fresh Cuts for Clevelanders in Buckeye Neighborhood

By Devon Jones

As a part of our mission, The Cleveland Observer seeks to uplift and support minority-owned businesses in or near Cleveland, OH.

This month’s highlighted minority business is Classic Clippers, located at 9718 Buckeye Road Suite #3, 44104. Classic Clippers, established over 13 years ago, is owned and operated by Damon L. Chapman, a.k.a. Lee Chap the Barber. Since opening its doors, Classic Clippers has become a welcoming community space for residents and families. In addition to Damon, Lance Hudson, Joseph Baughes, Dionne Burns, and Lashawn Wynn also cut hair at Classic Clippers. They have a full-service, natural hair stylist servicing various types of hair.

Damon is Cleveland born and raised, and now resides in the Buckeye neighborhood. He has been cutting hair for most of his life. Looking back, he states that the first time he cut someone’s hair he was 13 years old, making it clear that being a barber was his natural talent.

When asked about what made him start his own barbershop, Damon says that prior to opening Classic Clippers, he worked at a nursing home, but was laid off. After that experience, Damon decided to get his Barber’s license. After receiving his license, he worked in a shop for one year, then chose to open his own shop.

Damon offers some words of wisdom to those seeking to open their own barbering business: As a business owner you have to establish and utilize your business credit. This can be an asset in times of uncertainty and struggle. For Damon, his credit line helped cover necessary expenses when the shop moved from Larchmere to Buckeye.

Although owning a business has many good parts, there are challenging aspects to it as well.  The most important is the power of a business to own its own space/location. Damon went on to explain that in having your own business, assets such as owning your location leads to independence and autonomy. Damon stated that ownership is one of his key priorities for the future.

Classic Clippers seeks to serve the community through a host of various events aimed at helping the neighborhood, such as their recent “Braids and Fades Back to School Event” for children, held on August 22nd.

What’s the next step for Classic Clippers? Damon said, “We have a couple of goals in mind. The first is to open a cashless location that utilizes technological resources, and the second is to open a barber college in the Buckeye community or in Cleveland in general.”

To schedule an appointment, Classic Clippers can be reached at (216) 721-1744.

Neighborhood Heros: A Servant’s Heart, Ms. Marilyn

By Sharon Lewis

Our task is to embrace shared wisdom because it can be a defining moment that takes us to our destiny.

I recently talked to Ms. Marilyn a community advocate and leader in Woodhill Homes, a Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) property located in Cleveland’s Woodhill Neighborhood.

Most days, you can find her in her kitchen preparing meals for the young, old, and everyone in between. She feeds her neighbors several times a week. She makes Sunday dinner maybe three times per month. When asked why, she said it is because she loves to cook and enjoys watching people eat what she has prepared.

Other times you will find her cleaning the grounds and hallways, sometimes on her hands and knees. Or, you will find her preparing layettes for new moms or mothers-to-be, distributing diapers, or packaging Personal Protective Equipment (PPE – masks, hand sanitizer, etc.)

She is a mother, grandmother, and a friend to many.

Ms. Marilyn also writes grants and makes essential connections with people and organizations. This activity helps her get the resources needed to fill the cracks in the lives of people facing incredible challenges. If there is a social service organization falling down on the job, she will step in to pick up the slack. Wherever there is a need, you will find Ms. Marilyn.

I asked Ms. Marilyn for three words that best described her. She said, “passionate, committed, and loving. I am passionate about what I do. It’s part of me; it’s who I am. I must do it. I am committed to this work. Loving, because I love to love on people. People need to hear that they are loved or beautiful. People need to hear something positive about themselves. It changes the way that they see themselves. It changes them on the inside and helps them heal from their trauma. Whatever that trauma is. I’m committed to my community.”

Ms. Marilyn landed in the Woodhill Homes 20 years ago after becoming the victim of a scam, which cost her everything, including her home and money. Having been raised in the church by a family that believed that one should be of service to one’s fellow man, she persevered. Even though on a fixed income and initially down on her luck, she worked diligently to help her neighbors. In the beginning, she was seen as an outsider and shunned. Her help was neither wanted nor welcomed.

In a memorable conversation with a man, she talked about her struggles and the desires of her heart to be of service to her community. His laughter hurt and angered her initially. He told her that she would not be successful until or unless she gained the people’s trust, and eventually the people came to accept and trust her. Though not as dramatic as Paul’s biblical  Damascus Road experience(Acts 9:1-19) , it has proven to be the guiding principle in her life’s work.

She is currently working toward a bachelor’s degree in Human Services, and a certificate in Psychology from Perdue University. She completed a Fellowship at Case Western Reserve University’s Mary Ann Swetland Center for Environmental Health, dealing with food systems. She sits on the Safety Board for CMHA and is a Ward 6 Precinct Committee Person. Ms. Marilyn has learned to be faithful to the many boards that she sits on so that they will be faithful to her and her work. She has become a fierce advocate and protector of her community through it all.

I asked Ms. Marilyn how she keeps such a rigorous schedule. She said that it is hard work and that sometimes she gets tired and feels like she can’t go any further. She weeps and cries out to God, but she always hears God say, “I got you, I’ll do the rest.” She feels his presence so that she can keep on going.

Many of us go through life without ever discovering our true purpose. People go after the desires of their hearts, but due to either a lack of preparation or understanding, their purpose fails to materialize. If we are fortunate, we will discover the keys to success.

We appreciate you Ms. Marilyn, a Neighborhood Hero!

 

 

Neighborhood Heroes Episode 2: Director Sharron Murphy Williams

By Devon Jones

The next episode of the Neighborhood Heroes Podcast and Video series features Dir. Sharron Murphy Williams of the Phe’Be Foundation.

Dir. Murphy-Williams began her career in finance as a credit strategist at Dunn and Bradstreet. Through her work, she noticed the disparity in financial knowledge based on socio-economic class and in many cases race. After making this observation, Dir. Murphy-Williams and a group of motivated community members created the Phe’be Foundation designed to offer financial literacy tailored to the individual.

The concept of financial literacy is relevant to every aspect of a person’s life yet many are not exposed to best practices and/or wisdom on the topic. The goal of the Phe’be Foundation is to create authentic experiences through education on the topics of money and financial health. With programs and workshops designed for individuals ages 9 to 99, each course has elements designed to engage, inform, and empower each participant to take control of their financial circumstances.

For over 20 years the Phe’be Foundation has sought to make a difference. Since the pandemic, the Phe’be Foundation has sought to be the model for the solution and as a result, launched various innovative programs tailored to particular situations and circumstances. These programs include but are not limited to: Wired 2 Work which seeks to provide a solution to the digital divide; Generation YZ geared towards individuals aged 25-40; and Boyz to Men with Money designed for boys and men ages 18-35. In 2021, the Phe’be Foundation was funded by the St. Lukes Foundation to provide financial literacy to residents in Mount Pleasant, Buckeye, Shaker, Larchmere, and Woodhill. There are various programs available to you for registration. To find out more go to www.phebefoundation.org  http://www.phebefoundation.org

In this episode Dir. Murphy-Williams discusses her career and expertise in financial health. This conversation offers much-needed context to the “Financial Pandemic” that we face. Furthermore, she discusses ways to prepare for the challenges to come.

The episode will be released on April 15, 2022, on The Cleveland Observer’s YouTube page and the Neighborhood Heroes Apple Podcast and Spotify pages.

Northern Wind Martial Arts continues to blow across The Land

(Revised 12/16) Northern Wind Martial Science is a Martial Arts school in the Hough community in Cleveland, Ohio.

By Ron Calhoun

A product of the Glenville neighborhood, Grand Master Greg Mayo has been teaching Martial Arts for over 50 years. Mayo says he is still learning at 71 years old. He has a faith-based outlook of what life is about, and he incorporates his spiritual understanding into Martial Science. Mayo’s instructions are based on the Tai Chi, Baguazhang and Kung Fu disciplines of martial arts. In recent years he has taught youth, seniors, and women how to exercise and strengthen the body along with learning self-defense.

Grand Master’s History

Mayo became interested in martial arts during a school canteen while attending Harry E. Davis Elementary School. This was during a time when recreation and entertainment was provided to students. Judo instructors were there to demonstrate martial arts and to offer the opportunity to learn. Mayo’s father offered to teach boxing to his 8-year-old son. While training and eventually sparring with other boxers, Mayo had an epiphany: “Every time I would put a right out there, a left would catch me,” he said with a burst of laughter, “so I had to change up my plan.”

Mayo began to study Karate. “I would go to the library and read everything they had, plus work out after school.” Ron Shaw, a former police officer for Kent State University, and Reginald McKisick, his cousin and now a Grand Master, said “We would beat up on each other, and work out together to fine tune the craft.”

At around the age of 17, Mayo met his mentor, Grand Master Sikes who became his martial arts father. Their relationship grew, and when Sikes decided to move to Las Vegas he turned the martial arts school over to Mayo.

Before Sikes’ departure, the two moved the school from East Cleveland to E. 55th Street off St. Clair (currently occupied by the Landmark Restaurant.) Back in the late ’60s the area was predominately white. During that time his car windows were often broken out, and there were threats on his and his students’ lives.

In 1973, the National Basketball Association reached out to Northern Wind to ask if they would perform a demonstration for the half-time show at a game in Richmond, Virginia. Since then, the School has also performed at Cleveland’s famous Front Row Theater, and for Playhouse Square during the “Square to Square” festivals.

Mayo has been contracted for security for a variety of famous people, including local and national celebrities. Most noted are Carl Stokes, Halle Berry, and he still works for Sinbad, whenever he performs in Cleveland.  The school has received many proclamations and accolades for their success over the years, from Cleveland City Council, mayors, and various law firms including Squire, Sanders and Dempsey.

Northern Wind Science Martial Arts School is located at:  8311 Superior Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44103. To learn more, email: grandmastermayo@gmail.com