New School Year; Obama photo, Afro-Solo at Yoshi's with Hope Foye

Today is my month birthday and it also the first day of classes at the College of Alameda. I teach four sections and supervise 5. It will be a busy semester, but we're going to have a lot of fun. I have many students whom I had for two consecutive semesters so the class culture is warm and friendly, yet serious. President Cervantes is leaving the college next month to work elsewhere. I'll miss her. She hired me. The acting college president, George Herring, didn't hire me, but he's back. Life's like that...these full cirles or revolutions...makes one wonder. I stopped working at COA then and didn't return except to apply for a FT position. When Herring was president, it was the first time I'd gotten to that level at COA. My Aunt Ruby had just died that morning in New Orleans and I was out of sorts.

I'm glad I'm here now, and Herring sees me.

The photos were taken Monday evening at AfroSolo's concert and awards event at Yoshi's San Francisco. The regal woman with white hair is the fabulous concert vocalist, Hope Foye. She is surrounded by her daughter and grandchildren. Other photos are of me and Fred Harris, pianist, and Hope's daughter and the wonderful percussionist. There is also a photo with Thomas Simpson, Mr. AfroSolo (founder and host for the past fifteen years.)

Ms. Jackie Hairston is in a photo, the wonderful pianist who accompanied Mr. Foye and was teary-eyed when she explained what the evening meant to her. It's not every day that one is in a position to celebrate a moment with a woman who embodies living history--black history.