Progressive Club celebrates Black History Month

By LPR Staff
Editor/POST-REGISTER

The Progressive Club invited the community to share in an evening of food, fellowship and inspiration in celebration of Black History Month of Feb. 19.
The evening”s theme was a tribute to the Niagara Movement, the first African American meeting held to end racial discrimination. This year marks the 100th anniversary of

the movement.
Keynote speaker Estella Franks Elam, a Lockhart native and a 35-year veteran in the field of education gave a rousing speech entitled “The New Slave Masters.”
Elam challenged the community to encourage the children to come forward with their gifts. She challenged the audience to break free of the “new slave masters,” including greed, drugs, alcohol and hatred. She asked them to rise above their own prejudices for the betterment of the community.
“We need old men to dream dreams and young men to see visions,” she said.
The mission of the Progressive Club, to “continue to support children educationally, keep religious moral values, support people with special needs and continue to be politically evolved,” was prevalent throughout the banquet, as Ada Johnson delivered an impassioned spiritual reading from James Weldon Johnson and a group of dancers from Gods Anointed Praisers from First Baptist Church gave enthusiastic performances.
The evening was capped by the crowning of Progressive Club Queen and King.
Two candidates for Queen, Alexandria Carter and Denay Franks, both 10, have been working tirelessly to raise money for the Progressive Club. They were joined in their efforts by King candidate Cody Deshay, 11. Together, the three raised nearly $5,000 for the Progressive Club. Franks and Deshay proudly accepted their crowns.
At the end of the evening, the Progressive Club asked Sheriff Daniel Law to announce the first annual “Black Business of the Year.” The honor went to James Thompson of Thompson Construction.