Ushers are an integral part of the African American worship experience. Dressed immaculately and known for stepping in unison, these “doorkeepers” instill and help to maintain order in the church sanctuary. Ushering is a long-standing tradition, and an interdenominational group works with hundreds of ushers in Baltimore and across Maryland to ensure they are properly trained.

The Interdenominational Church Ushers Association of Maryland, Inc., (ICUA) is an interfaith Christian organization, and is affiliated with the National United Church Ushers’ Association and the Eastern Region Ushers’ Association. The organization is committed to providing quality service, participating in community outreach and community resource programs, providing educational resources for young people, promoting spiritual growth and encouraging leadership development.

The ICUA-Baltimore Unit is a part of the state chapter, and is headquartered at 2212 North Eutaw Place. Approximately 20 churches are members of the Baltimore Unit, which also operates the John R. Brown School of Ushering at the location. The school trains ushers in the universal method of ushering. 

Gerald A. Hill, Sr. is president of the ICUA-Baltimore Unit. “In my capacity I ensure that the unit is running effectively,” said Hill.  “I help to ensure that individuals come to meetings and trainings. I also make sure that information is properly disseminated. I also check on our sick and senior members.”

The John R. Brown School of Ushering conducts trainings the second Saturday of every month from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and the ICUA State School of Ushering is held the third Saturday of every month from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Trainings are sometimes held at the Eutaw Street headquarters, but also rotate around the state.

“I enjoy working with people, serving people, attending the conferences and fellowshipping,” said Hill. “Ushering also provides leadership skills. To me, you just have to feel it. Being a man of God, I love doing God’s work.”

Hill attends Providence Baptist Church were the Revs. Marcus Garvey Wood and Dr. Douglas E. Summers serve as co-pastors. Hill has served as president of the church’s usher board for the past 12 years.

“I have been ushering for the past 15 years, Hill added. “There’s an usher in my church by the name of Bro. Brown, who used to tell me to get on the usher board because my father would be proud. Bro. Brown and my sister talked me into it, and I have been ushering ever since.”

“As we serve, it’s in the spirit,” said Hill. “We are marching for the Lord.”

ICUA-Baltimore Unit members actively support usher anniversary services and other events. Recently, they participated in an usher anniversary service at Morning Star Baptist Church of Christ on Fayette Street.

“Different churches have anniversaries and we try to support those programs, especially for ICUA members,” said Hill. “Ushers can always count on each other to support one another at their anniversaries.”

On May 3, 2013 the ICUA-Baltimore Unit honored 82-year-old Preston Jennings, a longtime usher, at a Bull & Oyster Roast at The Forum Caterers.

Jennings has served in several capacities with the ICUA on the state, Eastern Region and national levels— including chairman of The John R. Brown School of Ushering and former Baltimore Unit president.  Jennings began ushering in 1955, and still actively serves on the door at Waters A.M.E. Church on Aisquith Street where he holds the title of Usher Emeritus.

Sylvia Graves is the former state dean of the ICUA of Maryland. Graves also has served as an instructor with The John R. Brown School of Ushering.

“My reward is just being a servant,” said Graves. “As an usher, our job is to assist the pastor, have fans and envelopes available, and meet, greet and seat people. We also instill decency and order. We are marching up the King’s Highway and marching for Jesus.”

Graves attends Perkins Square Baptist Church on Edmondson Avenue where she supervises the youth ushers.

“The church usher plays a vital role in meeting the needs of the congregation and keeping the church service running smoothly and orderly,” Graves said. “The usher helps put the congregation in the right frame of mind to receive God’s Word.  With all things, there’s a proper way to do them.  The same holds true for church ushering.”

Graves said the ICUA motto is “If every usher was just like me, what would this usher board be.”

For more information about the ICUA-Baltimore Unit, visit: www.icuaofmd.com or call 410-532-9292.

At age 15, Baltimore resident Autumn Simms seems to already have life figured out.

The soft-spoken tenth grade student at the private Indian Creek Upper School in Crownsville, Maryland is a standout on the school’s equestrian, soccer, basketball and lacrosse teams. She is a mainstay on the Dean’s List.

“I stay on top of my work so that I have time to do everything else,” said Autumn, whose equestrian team recently completed its season at the Interschool Horse Show Invitational, where only the best in the sport are invited to compete.

At the event, Autumn was awarded the Casey Sportsmanship Award, which is presented to just one horse rider from all of 32 schools involved.

“That’s my baby,” said family friend and Autumn’s long time caretaker, Shirley Griffin. “She’s a wonderful girl who is not into the makeup and other things that young girls usually are into. Her mother is really trying to give her a good balance in life and she has responded,” Griffin said.

Tina Simms, Autumn’s mother, said her daughter has always been, “The model kid.” Simms said her daughter had always shown an interest in sports while maintaining great grades. Autumn’s love of equestrian riding developed only a couple of years ago, according to her mother. 

“I’d like to take credit but Autumn has such a mild demeanor and a go-getter attitude,” Simms said. “The equestrian interest began when her father gave her horses and she wanted to ride. We took her to summer camp and her dream never went away, so she joined the team,” she said.

While Autumn also thrives in other team sports, her success in equestrian riding could be considered surprising on many fronts.

African American equestrians are a minority within a minority, as horsemanship remains an interest among just a few people— primarily white. Further, few women make it to the top of equine sports.

After the turn of the 20th century, racing started to become a higher profile sport and blacks were mostly seen only as stable help, according to historians.

The last black jockey to win the Kentucky Derby, Jimmy Winkfield who won in both 1901 and 1902, left the country for Europe and a lucrative racing career.

“We know it’s not a sport that usually interests African Americans,” Griffin said. “But, Autumn is a special child, very special, and she has this wonderful gift.”

Despite obstacles, some African Americans have quietly succeeded in the sport. For more than 10 years, Virginia Mealing Plancke was involved in equestrian events. From 1989 to 1991, Mealing Plancke was a trainer for the C.W. Post College Equestrian Team in New York. She earned ribbons and placed in numerous jumper division shows and was the only African American in the Belgium European Equestrian Show during the 1993-1994 season.

Also, as recently as 2000, Marlon St. Julien became the first black jockey in 79 years to ride in the Kentucky Derby and he finished in seventh place.

Autumn said her father, Lester Simms, and her mother, are motivators and heroes to her. Asked what advice she would give to other teens, Autumn didn’t hesitate to offer sound guidance.

“Always plan with a schedule,” she said. “Put your academics first and you are more likely to excel.

Kendel Abrams may one day be a household name

Kendel Abrams is "swinging" her way to the top. The twelve-year-old won the qualifier for the Callaway Jr. Golf World Championship at Glenn Dale Golf Course in Bowie, Maryland earlier this year. Kendel's impressive victories also include a first place win in the 2012 Jimmy Flattery Jr. Golf Tournament. The victory marked the third time she has won the competition. She also won the event in 2010 and 2011.

Kendel also won a title at the US Kids Golf Tournament in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, and was also selected as "Player of the Year" for the US Kids Philadelphia North Spring Tour. With Kendel's long list of impressive victories, it's hard to believe that the talented golfer has only been playing for three years, and initially wasn't interested in the sport. 

 "I thought golf was boring," said Kendel. "But I saw my brother play and thought I could beat him and started playing golf. I did beat him."

Kendel is referring to her older brother Khalil, who is also making his own mark in golf.  Playing on his high school golf and tennis team, Khalil recently participated in the Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy in Hilton Head, SC. He was one of 51 students selected around the country out of 200 First Tee chapters. The First Tee golf program reaches young people ages 5-18 through golf instruction and life skills lessons administered at chapters, military installations, and to students in elementary schools.

In 2010, Kendel and Khalil were selected as Junior Course Reporters for the PGA's Champions Tour. The selection provided them with the opportunity to interview several distinguished golfers including Fred Couples and Tom Watson and PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem.

Recently, Kendel and Khalil visited Capitol Hill for National Golf Day to discuss what golf means to them.

Kenny and Denise Abrams, are the proud parents of Kendel and Khalil. The couple are the owners of Abrams Insurance Company in Baltimore.

In July, Kendel will travel to San Diego to participate in the San Diego Junior World Golf Championship.  The tournament provides an opportunity for junior golfers from all parts of the world to come together to play golf and share in cultural exchange.

Kendel has also been selected by the Tiger Woods Foundation to serve as a standard-bearer at the AT&T National Golf Tournament at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, MD this summer. Tiger Woods will be playing in the event.

"I like Tiger Woods a lot," said Kendell. "When I see him at the tournament, I don't know what I am going to say to him."

Kendel attends Southern Middle School in Pennsylvania, and is also a member of First Tee Baltimore and the Clifton Park Junior Golf Program in Baltimore. She also caddies at several local golf courses, plays basketball, and runs cross-country.

"I really enjoy being a golf caddy," said Kendel. "People get to know me, and it prepares me for tournaments."

She added, “Golfing is like an adventure. It's a long journey, but it gets better and better. I like competing because it's a great way to meet a lot of people and network."

In addition to golf, Kendel plays the cello, consistently makes the Honor Roll, and was a 2012 Carson Scholar.

"I always find time to get things done and study," said Kendel. "I usually try to get out on the golf course to practice at least three times a week and I always study. I see myself going pretty far because I am a hard worker. I also don't mind trying over and over again."

 Kendel shared  the advice she often gives to young, aspiring golfers.

 "I always tell kids to never give up," she said. "I also tell them they can't have a bad attitude, and they have to practice a lot."

Remember the name Kendel Abrams. At the rate she's going at such a young age, she could one day become a household name. 

Cambridge, Md—Sojourner Douglass College hosted Associated Black Charities’ 2nd Annual Health Conference, which included the kick off for the Caring Connections Health Enterprise Zone on Thursday, May 2, 2013. The theme of the daylong event was “Diabetes & Obesity: Changing Today’s Crisis into a Healthier Tomorrow.” 

On hand to greet the participants and kickoff the event was Dr. Carlessia Hussein, director of the Maryland State Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities.  Roger Harrell, Dorchester County Health Department Chief Health Officer, was also in attendance to lend his support and acknowledge the hard work put forth by community partners in the fight against diabetes and obesity in Dorchester County. 

The keynote speaker, Dr. Claudia Baquet, associate dean for policy and planning at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, shared a wealth of information about health disparities and the positive impact that has been made to educate the community about disease prevention. 

Also on hand to present were Dr. Michelle A. Gourdine, CEO of Michelle Gourdine & Associates; John Winslow, director of Dorchester County Addictions; Carol Marsden, director of Eastern Shore Mobile Crisis, and Dr. Michael Fadden, medical director, Maryland Healthy Weighs, LLC. 

Sojourner-Douglass College Dean Jeffrey Diggs said he sees the role of the college as a beacon for the community by using the college’s Project Demonstrating Competence hours to build programs such as health fairs designed for underserved communities.  Dean Diggs also said the college is actively recruiting for their fall semester throughout the area including Talbot County and Caroline County.  Dean Diggs praised the members of the Cambridge Campus Alumni Chapter for their efforts to increase awareness about the rich history of Sojourner-Douglass College and the great education the college offers.