Let's Dance!

 

     Motlow student Amarah Perkins warms up before performing at the annual Motlow Holiday Traditions show on the Smyrna campus. 

(Photo by Chuck Whiting)

‘WILD WILLY’ Returns to Airways

By Bill Krass

Motlow Buzz Contributing Writer

  MURFREESBORO — In the mid-1960s, thousands of listeners from throughout Hawaii turned to their radios every night to hear one of the top DJ's play their favorite rock tunes and make dedications to those "special people.”  Their host was "Wild Willy,” who was spinning records every night on the most popular station in the state, KORL, while during the day serving in the United States Navy as the Public Information Officer of the 4,000-man Naval Air Station, Barber's Point.

Fast forward 50 years, and "Wild Willy" is back on the air every week… right here in Rutherford County. You most likely know him as Dr. Bill Kraus, who has been an adjunct professor on Motlow State’s Smyrna Campus for over 20 years, teaching primarily Political Science and First-Year Experience.  

Each Thursday from 9 to 10 a.m., you can hear Bill Kraus on WGNS News Radio (AM 1450, FM 100.5, and FM 101.9) in Murfreesboro. He no longer plays the most popular rock ’n’ roll hits of the day, but hosts the WGNS Radio "Roundtable" each week, "visiting" community, academic, governmental and business leaders from throughout Rutherford County.  Many of the "Motlow State Family" have been guests to date, including Motlow State President Michael Torrence; Dr. Pamela Harris, Academic Dean of Humanities and Social Science; Professors Charles Whiting, Dr. Robert Fitzgerald, Dr. Laura Booth, and Campus Coordinator Gary Winton.  A number of Motlow State students have also been on the air since Dr. Kraus started hosting the show three years ago.

You can listen to Dr. Krauss’s “Roundtable” online at https://www.wgnsradio.com/tags/950/live . 

“One of the most interesting ‘visits’ that I’ve had was last summer when I did a remote from the home of former Tennessee Gov. Winfield Dunn, who was 96 years old,” Dr. Krauss said. “Gov. Dunn, who is known by many as the last of the "Southern Gentlemen,” provided an excellent insight into his leading Tennessee between 1971 through 1975, including the era of ‘Watergate.’ He is the longest living governor of the state.”

The professor added that the weekly "Roundtable" is a good way to always stay current on what is going on, especially in the case of local and state events and activities.

"Some people play golf once a week...I play radio." 

African-American Read-In to Occur Virtually All Day Feb. 28

  SMYRNA — A host of students, faculty members, administrators and staff members will celebrate the contributions of Black Americans during the day-long “African-American Read-In” on Feb. 28 (Wednesday). 

According to Event Coordinator and Professor Dr. Phyllis Adams, the event will occur virtually on Zoom from 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with spoken and visual presentations lasting up to 15 minutes each. Participants will include students, faculty, staff, administrators, professional artists, writers, journalists, educators, poets, authors, servant-leaders, and community supporters. 

Admission to the event is open to everyone. To attend, click on the following Zoom link: https://mscc.zoom.us/j/89979466412?pwd=WjBHVmVjelZKUytHb2pzWVNvdlBEZz09 

“I believe you will find this event to be informative, entertaining, inspiring and empowering,” Adams said. “Motlow State has hosted this event for some eight years, and I am honored to have had the opportunity to sponsor this event for some six years. Clearly, your presence and participation continue to be paramount to the success of the Read-In.”

Adams, who serves Motlow as Professor of Speech and Theatre, and Culture, Diversity and Inclusion, hosts the event during Black History Month. According to the History Channel, President Gerald Ford officially recognized BHM in 1976, asking Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” 

The National African American Read-In is a groundbreaking effort to encourage communities to read together, centering African American books and authors. The late Dr. Jerrie Cobb Scott, and active member of NCTE and the Black Caucus, brought this idea to the committee. This event was established in 1990 by the Black Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) to make literacy a significant part of African American Heritage Month. Together, this event was birthed and has lived and flourished for the last thirty-three years. This initiative has reached more than six million participants around the world. 

“Motlow State has been a proud participant in this endeavor for many years, and we are honored to have your continued support, presence and participation,” the professor added. 

For more information about the “African-American Read-In,” contact Professor Adams at padams@mscc.edu.

Mosaic Journal Submissions Due By March 1

   SMYRNA — Students, faculty and staff have until March 1 (Friday) to submit original literary and visual works for the spring issue of Mosaic.

         The journal includes fiction, poetry and creative non-fiction, as well as visual art and academic essays.

          Mosaic editors are seeking the following:

          + Fiction (up to 1,500 words).

          + Creative non-fiction (up to 1,500 words).

          + Visual Art.

          + Poetry (one to three poems).

          + Academic Essays (up to 3,000 words).

“The journal’s primary goal is to provide a platform to amplify creative voices,” said Associate Professor of English Andrea Green, who serves as co-editor-in-chief. “By featuring distinct methods of storytelling and artistry, Mosaic hopes to highlight the exceptional talents of the Motlow community.”

To learn more or submit an original work of literature or visual art, send an email to Mosaic@mscc.edu. 

Established in 1993, Mosaic: A Literary Journal has been relaunched by the Language Department and Motlow Library. The Fall 2023 issue is available at https://www.canva.com/design/DAFznZt0fqQ/FGd_rTi26mAAZE2pOeTdnA/edit?utm_content=DAFznZt0fqQ&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton .

‘Famous Communicator’ Dr. Harriet Kimbro-Hamilton to Speak at Motlow Smyrna on Feb. 27

  SMYRNA -- Author Dr. Harriet Kimbro-Hamilton will bring the history of the Negro Baseball League to life during a special talk from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Feb. 27 (Tuesday) in HSC 331 on the Motlow Smyrna campus.

Hamilton, who is the daughter of late Black baseball legend Henry Kimbro, recently penned the book, “Home Plate: Henry Kimbro and Other Negro Leaguers of Nashville, Tennessee.” The former Tennessee State University professor will honor the memories of 18 Black baseball heroes who called Nashville their home. Students and others can learn about Nashville legends such as James "Junior" Gilliam (Baltimore Elite Giants); Henry Kimbro (Nashville/Baltimore Elite Giants); Bruce Franklin "Buddy" Petway (Leland Giants); and Norman "Turkey" Stearnes (Nashville Elite Giants/Detroit Stars).

The event, which is free and open to everyone, is part of Motlow’s “Famous Communicator Speakers Series.” Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, contact Professor Charles Whiting at cwhiting@mscc.edu. 

"I released my new book just in time for the 100th anniversary of the Negro Baseball League," said Hamilton, who published a book about her father in 2015. "I wanted the other families of those Negro Leaguers to have their loved ones documented and remembered as my father was in my first book. "'Home Plate' is a book that can be passed down through generations, so their legacies are never forgotten." 

Hamilton was thrilled when Major League Baseball announced it was correcting a longtime oversight in the game's history by elevating the Negro Leagues from 1920 through 1948 to major-league status.

According to the History Channel, the league was launched in 1920, with Black baseball enjoying periods of success in the early 1920s and again after the Great Depression. The Nashville White Sox/Nashville Elite Giants, which were members of the Southern Negro League, made history by introducing some of the greatest baseball players of all time. The integration of major league baseball began with Jackie Robinson in 1947. After that, there was a slow but irreversible influx of talent to the majors, with the remaining Negro League teams generally folding by the 1960s. 

"When the announcement from Major League Baseball came, I received so many texts and calls," said Harriet. "I felt like a kid at Christmas who was so excited about the present. What a great present to be given to all of the families of those Negro Leaguers."

Also featured in Harriet's book (and re-classified as Major Leaguers) are the late baseball legends Robert "James" Abernathy, Daniel Black, William "Soo" Bridgeforth, Sidney Bunch, Elliot Coleman, Wesley "Doc" Dennis, Edward Lee "Lefty" Derrick, Edward Martin, Clinton "Butch" McCord, Taylor Smith, Thomas "Tom" Wilson, and Jim Zapp. 

The book features a foreword by Henry Kimbro's great-granddaughter (Harriet's great-niece) Jada Scott, and a chapter titled "My Adventures with Grandpa" that documents the unforgettable experiences of Harriet's son, Patrick Hamilton. A photo in "Home Plate" shows Harriet's great-niece, Brooklyn Scruggs, visiting the street sign of Junior Gilliam Way in front of the Nashville Sounds Baseball Stadium with her dog Blossom. 

The Nashville Sounds donated the book to Metro Nashville Public Schools. 

Dr. Harriet Kimbro-Hamilton served as an associate professor for Tennessee State University in Nashville until her retirement in 2020. During her athletic career, she served as head coach in various sports and athletic director of Fisk University. She also has served as a professor for Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The author also chaired the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship Committee and served on the ABA-USA Committee that selected the 1984 USA Olympic Gold Medal Women's Basketball Team. In 2016, she received the Robert Peterson Recognition Award for her book, "Daddy's Scrapbook: Henry Kimbro of the Negro Baseball League, A Daughter's Perspective." She also has received awards from the Women's Sports Foundation; the National Association of Girls and Women in Sports (the Dr. Nell C. Jackson Award); Fisk University (Women of Prominence Award); and the Temple University League for Entrepreneurial Women (Hall of Fame inductee). She was inducted into the Fisk University Sports Hall of Fame in 2017.

"Home Plate," which retails for $12, is available exclusively at www.Amazon.com. For more information, contact Harriet Kimbro-Hamilton at HenryKimbro14@gmail.com. To learn more about Nashville's important role in Negro League baseball, visit www.Facebook.com/HenryKimbro or www.Twitter.com/KimbroNlb.