Zoraba Ross
The Black Heritage Council’s Black History Month events kick off on Sunday, February 2. 2014 at Mayes Community Temple Church of God in Christ. The theme for the kickoff and the month’s events will be “Black History: Looking Back at the History of a Time.”
The kickoff ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. at the 801 Bennett St. church. The event is an opportunity to reflect on the contributions of African-Americans as well as Nelson Mandela, who spent more than three decades in prison for opposing apartheid before becoming South Africa’s first black president.
Keynote speaker for the kickoff will be Zoraba Ross, a 1983 graduate of Marion Harding High School who now serves as an assistant principal and athletic director at Central Crossing High School in South-Western City School District. He previously served as assistant executive director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Performing and Cultural Arts Complex, worked as recreation administration coordinator for Columbus Recreation and Parks and taught physical education at West Broad Elementary School in Columbus Public School District.
Ross, who served as captain of the track team while attending The Ohio State University, went on to coach at the college and high school levels.
Black History Month will conclude with the 36th Annual Scholarship and Awards Banquet that will be held on March 1 at All Occasions Catering and Banquet in Waldo. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and dinner will be served at 6 p.m.
Tickets for the banquet are $29. A table for eight is available for $224. Tickets are available by talking to Black Heritage Council members or by calling member Tara Dyer at 740-751-8050. The banquet is a fundraiser for a scholarship fund that, in 2013, provided about $4,000 in scholarship money to students attending Kent State, Mount Union and The Ohio State universities.
Deryck Toles
Keynote speaker for the banquet will be Deryck Toles, founder and executive director of Inspiring Minds. Inspiring Minds is a Warren-based community organization that engages, inspires, and empowers under-represented youth by exposing them to new experiences and positive role models. It has provided more than $50,000 in scholarships under Toles’ leadership.
Toles, a former NFL linebacker, is a 1999 graduate of Warren G. Harding High School in Warren, OH who played while attending Penn State University. He started his NFL career as an outside linebacker with the Atlanta Falcons and completed his career playing with the Indianapolis Colts.
The Black Heritage Council would also like to thank everyone who purchased a raffle ticket. The winners are:
- 1st place (2 tickets to Purdue vs. OSU on Feb. 8 and $50 dinner package): Brittney Benjamin
- 2nd Place (OSU Gift Basket) – Mattie King
- 3rd Place (Gas Card) – Mae Wade
For more information on the events, contact Black Heritage Council member Tara Dyer at 740-751-8050.
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