Gratitude

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Rev. Celeste's guest is Rev. "Queen" Michelle Jordan, powerful vocalist, musical theater actress, passionate vocal teacher and choir director. Celeste mentions the California Arts Council Grant (http://arts.ca.gov/opportunities/grants.php) Rev. Michelle received for Vocal Music in schools, and the Critics Circle Award for her portrayal of Effie in "Dreamgirls" (https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2007/06/10/berkeley-bred-singer-taking-perfect-path-toward-broadway/). The real topic of discussion is Gratitude. Rev. Celeste weaves gratitude through questions. Some interesting discoveries include:

• Rev. Deborah Johnson's (https://www.innerlightministries.com/about-us/rev-deborah-johnson/) call for gratitude at a graduation ceremony.
• The murder of Ahmaud Aubery (https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2020-05-21/third-suspect-charged-with-murder-of-georgia-unarmed-black-jogger) retraumatizing Michelle around the murder of her nephew Terrence McCrary (https://www.berkeleyside.com/2016/08/15/in-loving-memory-of-terrence-mccrary-1993-2016); and how her sister, Florence McCrary is a voice for those who have lost their children to gun violence (https://www.berkeleyside.com/2017/09/21/1-year-berkeley-artists-killing-still-unsolved-despite-25000-reward)
• The Center for Spiritual Living San Jose's Halloween in 1998 and a famous fictional character portrayed (https://www.distractify.com/trending/2017/10/20/1hRg09/twitter-aunt-jemima)
• Her Episcopalian minister grandfather who stowed away on a boat from Accra, Ghana to England, the discovery of her family name Lamitsoi (pronounced Lamtray) and her daughter's discovery of her name on a trip to Ghana
• Michelle's soul kinship with Rosetta Tharpe (https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9278355)
• The Chitlin' Circuit (https://medium.com/@richardkyu/chitlin-circuit-blues-culture-and-american-culture-785c913d5add)
• Director Toney Haney spotting her soul when she thought she was Deena, but he saw her as Effie (https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Anthony-J.-Haney/)
• Michelle's email sign-off: "I'm happy because I sing" (William James quote attributed to Tom Paxton)
• How having a song to prepare protects her from negative energy and protects her soul
• Michelle being anchored by the song and being liberated by the song
• "We Are Going" (https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/1534428/Book+of+Love/Woyaya), a song from Ghana), in Ga (https://omniglot.com/writing/ga.htm), the language of her ancestors, and the song lyrics' relationship to our Covid-19 experience
• The Q Proce

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