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Diocese
of Toledo Bestows Drum Major Award On Community Members as
Part of Black History Month Celebration
Special to The Truth
During its Mass for
Promoting Harmony on Saturday, February 23, 2019, the
Catholic diocese of Toledo presented the Drum Major Awards
in celebration of the Life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. to Helen C. Cooks, PhD,
and Vivian Johnson. Also
awarded were aspiring youth Davion
Williams and Malachi Wyse.
Bishop Daniel E. Thomas,
the principal celebrant and homilist, said, “2019 awardees
Helen Cooks, Vivian Johnson, Davion Williams and Malachi
Wyse are outstanding examples of individuals who embody the
values espoused by Dr. King.”
The Diocese’s Drum Major
Award is inspired by the words of King when he challenged
people to be “drum majors for justice, drum majors for peace
and drum majors for righteousness.”
Cooks
was recognized as a leader in her youth when at 14 she
organized a very successful Community Day at Braden
Methodist Church; and at 17 she was chosen as the City of
Toledo Playground Leader of the Year. Her pursuits and
career as an educator fulfilled the potential that she
showed as a youth. She has impacted the lives of thousands
of students through the Toledo Excel Program at the
University of Toledo. Her founding of this scholarship
incentive program is her crowning achievement. It is known
nationally and internationally for preparing youth for
higher education who are from groups otherwise
underrepresented.
She is also involved in
Toledo Excel’s participation in the Peace Project, an
international educational exchange program, which brought
together Toledo Excel students and students of Ghana, West
Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South
Africa. Her successful collaboration with resourceful
friends and colleagues led to the first Annual Conference
for Aspiring Minority Youth in 1985. She has an enduring
legacy as the 35th Annual Conference sponsored by
Toledo Excel is scheduled for January 29, 2019 at the
University of Toledo. Toledo Excel’s 30th class
will begin June 2019.
Cooks retired as a
University of Toledo Associate Professor in 2006. In 2016
she was named by the Board of Trustees to the rank of
Professor Emerita for her service to University of Toledo
and the Judith Herb College of Education. She is a proud
graduate of the Jesup W. Scott High School where she has
been inducted into its Hall of Fame; and earned her
undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees at University
of Toledo. She also worked side by side with her late
husband James Cooks in a food service business, which she
continues to manage. She is the proud mother of five adult
children, grandmother of 12 and great-grand mother of five
children.
Courage, strength, faith, love and commitment are a few of
the adjectives to describe Johnson, a lay leader at
St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church in Toledo. She has
served with dedication and grace for many years as Chair of
St. Martin’s Evangelization Ministry. Other ministries in
which she actively participates are Liturgy and
Consolation. She is also a Eucharistic Minister and
Lector.
Johnson’s prayer ministry for those who are imprisoned
touches all who have been impacted by a loved one’s
imprisonment. Core staff at St. Martin de Porres nominated
her for this award because of her love and devotion to her
family, Church and community. She participates, contributes
and supports the Church in any capacity when called upon to
serve. She leads by example, making evangelization a
personal mission with her large extended family. She is a
role model for all parishioners as they witness her bringing
her grand-children, great grand-children, nieces and nephews
into the Church and makes a commitment by walking with them
in their own faith journey. It is not lost on fellow
parishioners as she sits surrounded by her loved ones at
Mass. Her service to the Church and her impact on these
young lives is immeasurable.
Williams
is the son of Bryan Williams and Latoya Devaugn. This young
man is impacting the St. John’s Jesuit High School community
through his leadership in its Social Justice Alliance, where
he helps raise awareness on subjects such as housing
inequality and gentrification. A talented composer of hip
hop music, he sang one of his works on racism during
announcements as a St. John’s Social Justice Awareness Week
activity.
William’s service for
credit hours include serving food to those in need,
volunteering in a nursing home, participating in an
Appalachian Immersion project in West Virginia where he
helped run a camp for youth. His activism for social causes
includes his participation in the 2018 Washington D.C.,
“March For Our Lives”. He has led fellow students through
their Kairos retreat. His nomination from a St. John’s
teacher provides a portrait of a well-rounded honor student
who is also talented in the arts and shows potential for
great things.
Wyse
is the son of Lloyd and Katrina Wyse. He is known for
seeing the good and bringing out the good in others. He
prioritizes relationships, scholastic achievements and
downplays his prowess in athletics. His character and
personality marked him early as a youth with potential for
leadership; leading to his selection to attend Salesian
Leadership Camp. He is senior class president at St.
Francis de Sales High School.
He is described as humble
but his vibrant personality is brought to bear on everything
he touches, including mock trial participation, performing
in student musical productions, Afro Club, Asian Culture
Club and campus ministry. He fulfils his service credit
responsibilities and for two years has served as camp
counselor for incoming St. Francis students.
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