Everyday People, Extraordinary Heroes Week 1 2 3 4

For that person that is first to lend a helping hand, yet last to accept an award. For the one that gives from the heart, then rejects to being on the front page of the newspaper. For the one that will work even when no one is around because it is important to get the job done... not who's watching you get the job done. We celebrate those every day individuals that have made an impact in our communities, changed our history, and left behind a revolutionary roadmap for all to follow. For each week we will highlight five influential individuals and their story, giving you a glimpse of what we mean when we say, "Ordinary People, Extraordinary Heroes."

Everyday People, Extraordinary Heroes of Week 1: Charleszetta Waddles October 7, 1912 - 2001 US religious leader, Missionary, Writer A self-educated mother of ten, started working at the age of 12. She got into the helping-and-healing business by assisting a friend. To keep her girlfriend from losing her home, Waddles, then on welfare, moved into her friend's unfinished basement and became her tenant. That's when she had a vision of creating a church that would deal with people's total needs, physical and spiritual. In 1957 Waddles and her little prayer band set up Detroit's Perpetual Mission for Saving Souls of All Nations and began donating canned goods from their own pantries Instead of waiting until people hit bottom, Waddles said she tried to "keep them from falling," sometimes paying a car note so someone can keep a job. She has established a school and medical center in Ghana and wrote several books. Mother Waddles says she has learned that "God, being a spirit, doesn't come out of the sky and do nothing. Everything that is done is because somebody says yes to His will. God has a great sense of humor. He gave us a choice."

Daniel “Chappie” James Feb 11, 1920 - Feb 25, 1978 First African American USAF 4-Star General General Daniel “Chappie” James was born on Feb. 11, 1920, in Pensacola, Fla., the youngest of 17 children. Ten of his siblings died before he was born because of medical illness. He attended and graduated from Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, the training center for black pilots during World War II. General Daniel “Chappie” James was the first USAF African-American 4-Star General, promoted on Sept. 1, 1975. General James was assigned as Commander in Chief of the North American Air Defense Command and Aerospace Defense Command, a position he held until his retirement on Feb. 1, 1978. He died 24 days later.

The Pact Three Young Doctors More than 13 years ago, three black teenage boys from a poor neighborhood of Newark, N.J., made a pact to stick together, go to college and become doctors. They did it! They had everything stacked against them: single-parent homes, drugs, crime, and poverty. But Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, and Rameck Hunt overcame their "diseased" environments to become doctors. Davis, Jenkins, and Hunt grew up in the gritty city of Newark, New Jersey, and beat the odds by sticking to a healthy dose of determination, inspiration, and friendship. They beat peer pressure, received good grades, and, just like brothers, one was strong when the other was weak.Growing up without positive role models made it difficult for the trio to realize their potential. After receiving their degrees, the friends determined to be the role models they never had. Their story is told in the award-winning book, The Pact: Three Young Men Make a Promise and fulfill a Dream. Additionally, they've established the Three Doctors Foundation (www.threedoctorsfoundation.org), and hope to become the faces of health and education in the black community. Dr. Hunt shares these inspiring words: "Whatever you do in life, it's going to be hard, so do something positive and reap the benefits. In the end, you'll have gained something--a new job or a big house. But when you choose to do negative things, you'll end up in the big house instead of with the big house."

Leroy Homer, Jr. October 7, 1912 - 2001 September 11 Pilot, Father, Hero One of nine children, seven of them girls, Homer grew up on Long Island. If there was a baby shower at home, or any other event where men weren't invited, Homer's father would take him to McArthur Airport near their house, where they marveled at takeoffs and landings. He attended the Air Force Academy, graduated in 1987 and specialized in flying C-141B Starlifters, mammoth heavy transport planes. During the Persian Gulf War, Homer flew them to the Middle East from bases in Europe. Non-judgmental, easygoing and polite, Homer immediately put the men at ease in the 18th Military Airlift Squadron at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey. Homer was hired by United in 1995, following several of his old cronies from McGuire. After a brief stint as a flight engineer, he became a first officer on Boeing 757s.

Carl Boyd Teacher For the past two years, Carl Boyd has been.lecturing about making our schools "discipline free by 2003!" His message is that there is an acute need to put the raising of children back in the hands of parents and guardians, allowing teachers to teach, rather than "discipline" (too often translated, to punish). Boyd seeks to use Internet Radio as a means of using entertainment, as well as practical approaches towards enhancing the home-school relationship, to help all of America to understand the essentiality of supporting educators if we are to continue as a world leader. Carl Boyd began teaching in Chicago's public schools in 1964. In his first 10 years of teaching, he received six awards for outstanding service. His next teaching assignment was in Kansas City, where, after only six weeks, he received an award for outstanding service from his peers. Also in Kansas City, he hosted an award-winning radio program for teens for nearly 12 years. He is a life member of the National Alliance of Black School Educators. Boyd currently resides in Chandler, Arizona.

A.G. Gaston 1892- 1996 Philanthropist, Millionaire, World War I Veteran Born into poverty in 1892 in the Deep South, A. G. Gaston died more than a century later with a fortune worth well over $130 million and a business empire spanning communications, real estate, and insurance. Gaston was, by any measure, a heroic figure whose wealth and influence bore comparison to J. P. Morgan and Andrew Carnegie.Gaston was determined to make a difference for himself and his people. After serving in the celebrated all-black regiment during World War I, bound him to the near-slavery of an Alabama coal mine–but even here Gaston saw not only hope but opportunity. He launched a business selling lunches to fellow miners, soon established a rudimentary bank–and from then on there was no stopping him. At the time of his death in 1996, A. G. Gaston was one of the wealthiest black men in America, if not the wealthiest. But his legacy extended far beyond the monetary. He was a man who had proved it was possible to overcome staggering odds and make a place for himself as a leader, a captain of industry, and a far-sighted philanthropist --and much of his philanthropy was directed to create opportunities for young people.

Thank you for visiting! Be sure to visit this site next week as week highlight more everyday people turn extraordinary heroes. More poster and flyers can be found throughout 4C, 5C and CTV kiosk. top