Voices… “Teach” Generational Blessings -Sisters (Part II)

[Prophetess Sandra Dukes, a.m.]

The Character of a Noblewoman “Hope, Honor and Integrity”

MARCH TO THE RIVER… with a Drum Major Instinct

One Voice One God

The character of a noblewoman is described in the biblical scriptures of Proverbs 31. She is a woman who possesses holy principles for which to be a loyal and devoted wife being an example of virtuousness to her husband, children, family and community .Walking in the Spirit of Jesus Christ teaching hope, honor and integrity. This defines Dorothy Benson-brown devoted widow to her loving and faithful husband Ralph, mother to four devoted children, grandmother and advocate for righteousness and justice.

It is indeed a privilege to introduce a hometown icon, one of my dearest and oldest friends and my life-long mentor, Missionary and Professor Dorothy Benson-Brown and the sister of Apostle Fannie Wallace. Professor Benson- Brown is a woman of exceedingly godly greatness in her own right, recipient of a multitude of awards for her Christian, Educational and Humanitarian contributions.

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."-2 Timothy 3:16-17

Reaching Your Unreachable Star- by Sandra Dukes

A reflection on the mentoring of Professor Dorothy Benson-Brown Part I

“I remember I was sitting at the kitchen table and this white woman was giving, no giving is not the correct word to express her action, the most accurate word is issue; the lady of the house, my employer, was issuing the duties, my duties of the day. Now let me say in the woman’s defense, she was not a mean or an unreasonable employer for those times. But as I sat at that kitchen table and she continued to issue order after order, rule after rule something touched my spirit. Perhaps it was the Dorothy of long ago, the little girl who sat on her parents’ porch in the housing projects of Corpus Christi, Texas. A small child who looked up and down the street and saw disappointments and miracles, who realized at an early age there would always be those who cried out “I cannot” and those who proclaimed “I can and I will”. Knowing somehow that lifting one’s head out of the clouds required a focused mind and seeing stars was not being a dreamer of impossible things. Well as I looked at this woman, right then and there I started to re- evaluated my life. I asked myself, Dottie (that’s what I am called by family and my friends; and me , myself and I, we are as about as close as you can get- you can’t ever be a friend to someone else, if you never learn to appreciate and like yourself ) what are you doing here? I knew I had the intelligence, I wanted, needed more out life, out of me, and so began my adventure of me inspiring me and others”.

This was the first of many conversations administered in a variety of medicinal doses of intellect, experience and wisdom; all crammed with Dottie’s mentoring power. Each one of us, if we are lucky enough, has someone who has impacted our lives with positive nurturing. We are blessed when that support has lasted a friendship over thirty years. I met Dottie when we were both employed by the City of Corpus Christi in the Personnel Department, this is where our expedition of mentor and mentored began. Dorothy Benson-Brown is a story of success, from house maid to college professor, because of her belief in God and self. Dottie credits God as giving her the power to sustain a sometimes difficult journey in reaching her unreachable star and the books The Amazing Results of Positive Thinking and The Power of Positive Thinking by Dr. Norman Vincent Peal as the key in inspiring her to succeed.

Dorothy Benson-Brown has worked and has left a positive effect in several areas of education, church and community services. She has worked with the children’s department at St. Paul United Methodist Church and for several years she was the sole teacher of the Methodist Youth Fellowship, which she faithfully taught for 18 years. She made her life-long love of learning, a vocation with the Robert L. Moore Community Center. Because of her dedication and that of others, many of her former students entered the CCISD program for Gifted Learners, of which many graduated in the 10%of their high school class.

*The continuation of Dorothy Benson-Brown’s journey.

She worked diligently and strategically with the youth in the Summer JTPA to place black youth, for the first time, in jobs at City Hall and the Nueces County Courthouse. Dorothy Benson-Brown was the first African -American person to work at City Hall for the City of Corpus Christi. During her eighteen years of employment she was instrumental in the hiring of other African-Americans by acting in conjunction with the efforts of the NAACP, to gain employment for other African – Americans without marches, signs and protests. She represented the City of Corpus Christi in the black community at job fairs. Benson-Brown always working above and beyond the call of duty took employment applications to the homes of African-Americans she thought were qualified, urging and insisting that they turn them in. Because of this dedication to the betterment of her people her fruits of labor flourished when African-Americans began to be hired all over the city.

Dorothy Benson- Brown is a retired professor of Del Mar College. She earned a Master of Science Degree in Curriculum and Planning from Corpus Christi State University in 1989 and a Master Degree in Developmental Reading. Her professional affiliations included the National Association of Female Executives, the NAACP, and the Texas Association of Black Personnel in Higher Education. Dorothy Benson-Brown has also received numerous honors and awards including 1996 and 1997 nominations for YWCA’s Teacher of the Year in Higher Education, the 1999 University of Texas Master Teacher Award, Texas Historical Award of Service in the Community for Preserving History in the re-birthing of the 19^th of June in Texas, Delta Sigma Theta Award for Woman of the Year, the NAACP Torch Bearer Award, UT Master Teacher Award and the Martin Luther King Living the Dream Award. Benson-Brown served on several influential Del Mar College committees and community service organizations, and was an instrumental part of the evolution of the Multi-Cultural Center, and the founder of Corpus Christi’s Black Awareness Juneteenth Celebration.

She is a very active member of St John Baptist Church* and serves on the Jail Ministry Team and is leader of the Benevolent Ministry. Benson- Brown has also served in: New Member Orientation Ministry, Benevolent, Homebound, Greeters, and Encouragers Ministries, President of the Fellowship Choir, Director of the Church School Department, Church School Training and a member of the Child Development Board of Directors, taught Sunday school and worked with the Girls in Action organization.

Dorothy Benson- Brown has had an extraordinary and fulfilling life, not only because of her civic participation and educational triumphs but also because of her contributing heart. She has never forgotten the little girl who sat on a small porch reaching for the stars; this is exemplified by her expressions of love to the elderly and young girls of the church and community. She gives out gifts to the elderly at Christmas, Easter and Mother’s Day. She also tries to encourage those young girls who are trying to succeed by giving away over thirty dresses each year at Christmas and Easter. She sends financial donations to six college’s students monthly. When interviewing Professor Benson-Brown she stated “all I ask of them is to reach back when they are successful and do the same for others it’s all been a journey of love, your life lives on by the people you have positively touched”. (Newspaper article Texarkana Community Journal 04-2009/writer Sandra Dukes)

Giving God the Glory

Always with Love

Prophetess Sandra Dukes - anointedworks sd

“The Word in me is the God in me “

*St John Baptist Church

“Making Disciples to Transform the World”

http://www.stjohnbc.org/

Benson- Brown always focusing on the honoring the one’s before us who paved the way.

http://www.caller.com/news/2006/jul/23/solomon-coles-school-shines-in-a-new-light/

Generational Blessings- Sisters

Part I-Voices“I Have Planted My Tower in Your Belly”!

Part II Voices “Teach”

Part III “Inspire”

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