On the morning of July 27, 2024, I entered Rivers Casino Portsmouth, and I approached several formally dressed women. They wore variations of green and bright pearls around their necks. They smiled and directed me to follow the flow of traffic, which snaked through a brightly lit hallway of the establishment, and then disappeared. Other well-dressed attendees in suits, ties, shiny shoes, dresses, and high heels navigated the way and filed into a spacious conference room. I quickly realized I was underdressed. After finding out my seating arrangement, I entered the nearly full room. The hot lights burned. The savory smell of eggs and hashbrowns permeated the room. Attendees sat quietly or visited with friends. Light conversation hummed. This was definitely an atypical Saturday morning for me. This was the Valiant Ivy and Pearls Scholarship Breakfast Program, which was sponsored by Twenty Pearls, Inc., in partnership with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Gamma Delta Omega Chapter. It was held in an elegant conference room, at Rivers Casino Portsmouth.
What is Twenty Pearls, Incorporated? What is the Valiant Ivy and Pearls Scholarship Breakfast Program? According to Tanya Weaver, Foundation President, “Twenty Pearls, Incorporated is a 501(c) (3) non-profit, tax-exempt foundation that uses contributed funds to promote and aid in academics, educational scholarships, and community service programs in education, health, and strengthening families.” The event certainly matched all of the information on the website. In the event’s program, Ms. Weaver says, “The foundation takes pride in its annual scholarship awards. Over the past eight years, Twenty Pearls Incorporated has provided over $100,000 in scholarships to local students.”
I found myself absorbing an array of powerful voices, while I sat next to Mr. Yohance Goodrich, II. He clearly had an instrument next to his chair, so I asked him about it. He said, “I play the clarinet. I’ve been playing for eleven years…. I’m a student at NSU.” He was confident, but I have been around a lot of musicians that have said similar things about their skill levels. He would later play a powerful rendition of Anita Baker’s Sweet Love for the audience, which set the right tone, proving that he was the real deal. After his musical selection and two cups of coffee, I fell into the vibe of the morning, which was honoring the academic achievements of students.
Jessica Larche (anchor and investigative reporter) was the Mistress of Ceremony. She kept the energy flowing, monitoring the pace, and moving through the program, adding her professional personality to the morning. She was the pulse, and her voice centered the morning, which was filled with knowledgeable people, community figures, and members of Twenty Pearls, Inc. They genuinely encouraged all the young scholars in the room. These people included Ms. Tanya Weaver, Dr. Beth Smith, Dr. Yolanda V. Brannen, Mrs. Gracie Bowers, Dr. Cardell C. Patillo, and Honorable Mayor Shannon Glover. These beautiful people dropped their wisdom and insight before breakfast was even served! They poured their wisdom and insight into the young scholars. I could tell many of the speakers wanted to say more. However, they understood there was a program to follow, so they did their best to keep their comments short.
So, you might be wondering how did I receive the invitation? What made me so special? Good questions. This summer, I have had the enormous opportunity to serve as a mentor at The Muse Writers Center, Norfolk, VA, which is a community-based learning center for writers of all skill levels throughout the Hampton Roads area. I have been fortunate enough to teach poetry workshops, release books, and organize public readings at The Muse Writers Center. As a mentor, I have been partnered with the highly talented, award winning, 2-time Hampton Roads Youth Poet Laureate for Chesapeake: Phoenix Banks. We have been working together for a few months, exploring the craft of creative writing, talking about the process of creation, and gearing up to publish her first book!
One afternoon, after Phoenix and I tackled all of the agenda items on a Zoom call, her mother, Mrs. Renyatta Banks said, “I want you to come to the Scholarship Breakfast on July 27th. Phoenix is reading a poem!” To my amazement, I later found out that Mrs. Banks is the Vice President of Twenty Pearls, Incorporated. I asked her about her journey with Twenty Pearls, Incorporated. She said, “I am actually a founder and incorporator of Twenty Pearls, Inc., the nonprofit arm of the Portsmouth Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.” I later asked about the impact she wanted to make as Vice President. She said, “The goal for Twenty Pearls, Inc. was to be able to focus on the community and serve the underserved in Portsmouth, VA.”
Did I mention that Phoenix delivered her poem “Rainbows,” like she was born for public speaking? Later, she said, “The inspiration behind my poem was the symbolism behind rainbows. In the Bible, the rainbow signified the promise between God and humans, but also the creation of a new earth. In my mind, rainbows show new beginnings, but also the promise of something new and beautiful emerging for everyone. Rainbows often appear after rainstorms, which can symbolize how something amazing tends to happen after tough and often tumultuous times. I wanted the graduates and prospective college students to realize that with college, and in turn scholarship money, they have the opportunity for new beginnings and that they are also making the promise to do something brilliant with themselves.” I asked her if she felt nervous or anxious about reading her work, and she said, “When I first entered the room at Rivers Casino, I think I was more excited than anything. I also got that sort of anxious excitement, before performing, so it wasn’t too surprising I felt that way. It also wasn’t my first time performing, so I don’t think I was super scared. I was really glad to have so many supportive people with me that day, like my mom, friends, sister, and new poetry mentor. They made me feel a lot better about my performance because they knew I could do it!”
Ms. Banks was followed by Ms. Aayanah Booker and Mr. Mark Johnson. Mr. Johnson said a few things that left incredible impressions on me. He reminded me of John Hope Bryant, a powerful advocate for financial literacy, especially in African American communities. Mr. Johnson represented Truist Bank, so he dropped a few financial tips on the students. He expressed the need for budgeting and for focusing on better spending habits that could help students meet their financial goals. Mr. Johnson said, “Look to the left of you and look to the right of you... You never know who you could be sitting next to.” He was right. I slowly scanned the room, thinking about the students as the next engineers, public intellectuals, public servants, musicians, educators, dentists, doctors, and athletes.
Culminating the experience was the Presentation of Scholarship Awards. This is where I learned about all the unique students that won specific awards. I learned about their achievements, their schools, and their aspirations. Every little bit counts toward the ultimate goal of educational success, especially when we think about access to quality education and the financial commitment that is required. At some point, these students at the Scholarship Breakfast felt the need to take advantage of the application process, just so they could get closer to their individual goals.
The Valiant Ivy and Pearls Scholarship Breakfast Program was a very encouraging and powerful experience. To see that level of investment in young people was certainly necessary and special. I look forward to seeing Twenty Pearls, Incorporated, continue to play an active role in the goals of the next generation.
Synnika Alek-Chizoba Lofton is an award-winning poet, author, and educator. He is the author of more than 30 books and more than 170 spoken word recordings. His poems have appeared in Clock Works Magazine, Revenge, Upstreet, Experience Reality Magazine, Quay, Dissident Voice, Blue Collar Review, The Skinny Poetry Journal, and Mid-Atlantic Review. Lofton teaches literature at Chesapeake Bay Academy and Composition and Public Speaking at Norfolk State University. For more information, check out: www.iamsynnika.com
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