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One dream: many voices Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was seen as the most prominent figure in the modern civil rights movement as he worked in the public spotlight from 1955 to 1968 fighting for desegregation, civil rights, voting rights, labor rights, and ending poverty. Many people, even those unfamiliar with the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s, have heard of Rosa Parks, Ralph Abernathy, Malcom X, and Medgar Evers, key figures of this era. Still there were many lesser-known civil rights heroes who marched and fought at Martin Luther King Jr.'s side. Dr. King surrounded himself with a group of dedicated advisors and mentors who helped him strategize and keep faith in the fight for equality. Here are a few of these unsung heroes. Bayard Rustin: Rustin was a key organizer of the 1963 March on Washington and was one of Dr. King's closest advisors. Rustin organized and led several protests from 1940 to 1960 and was affectionately referred to as "Mr. March on Washington." Ralph Abernathy: Abernathy served as a close advisor to King and won praise as a strong mediator in the civil rights movement. Abernathy worked with King and others to establish the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957 that supported nonviolent protest. Abernathy worked with King to organize the Montgomery Bus Boycotts. Thurman Howard: While King read several books on Gandi, it was Thurman who first introduced the concept of nonviolence and civil disobedience to the young Pastor. Benjamin Mays: King characterized Benjamin Mays as his "spiritual mentor" and "intellectual father." Mays, a former president of Morehouse College, taught King how to integrate the importance of history in his speeches. We celebrate those who, without fanfare, played key roles in the civil-rights movement and the accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King. Please help me welcome our 2024 New Board and thank our outgoing Board for a job well done. From our Club to yours, we wish you a Happy New Year! ~ Jacqueline White 46 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | JANUARY 2024 Our December meeting was our catered holiday dinner. There was a large group in attendance and all had a wonderful time celebrating together. Barbara and her Steering Committee planned a holiday gift exchange for members. The $20 limit placed on the gifts enabled our members to be creative in selecting the gifts for the exchange. The Italian American Club Steering Committee has decided to go dark and not have a meeting in January 2024. The club's meetings will resume on Feb. 8 at 5:30 pm at The Courts. If you have any ideas for a program for our club, please contact Barbara Dipoma or Jerry Monahan. The Steering Committee is always looking for suggestions for our club events. New ideas are always welcome. The Italian American Club is open to all residents of Four Seasons. You do not have to be Italian to join our group or come to our meetings. We would love to have you come to visit us. To all our members and all residents of Four Seasons, have a happy and safe new year. Non Vedo L Ori Di Vederti Presto (Looking forward to seeing you soon). ~ Barbara Dipoma, (805) 377-2616, and Jerry Monahan, (951) 212-8898 Italian American Club African American Cultural Club As a class, we celebrated the Christmas holiday with a sharing time by six of the ladies in the class in place of a final lesson. These ladies shared an event that impacted their lives and happened during the Christmas season. We then adjourned to our annual Christmas party held in the RCN. This year we had a potluck and the food prepared by these women was fit for royalty. Katherine Henderson was in charge of the fun games, and the winners received prizes donated by Jan White. Katherine also arranged for a lovely young woman to sing some Christmas songs for us as well. We then had a gift exchange, and hopefully everyone went home content and happy. With the beginning of a new year, this amazing group of beautiful women of God will be starting a new study. Commencing on Jan. 5 at 10:30 am in the Game Room, we will be introduced to the Book of Ezra, a priestly scribe, and learn from his writings. Ezra played an important role during the return of the Babylonian captives to Jerusalem. Following Ezra, we will study Nehemiah and then Esther. It will be a joy to delve into these Old Testament books, written so long ago for us to learn, read, and study in 2024! If any of your beautiful Four Seasons women want to join a group of dedicated, intelligent, and wonderful women to study the Word of God, please come by the game room any Friday from 10:30 to 11:45 am and study His Word with us. Hope to see you in 2024!s ~ Eileen Gilbert- Antoine, (951) 922-6829 or egcellent@msn.com "Believe …" Women's Bible Study