March is nationally recognized as Women's History Month. Since 1996, the San Francisco Commission and Department on the Status of Women, in partnership with the Mayor and Board of Supervisors, have celebrated this month with a public ceremony to recognize the contributions of women in the community.

Tuesday afternoon, March 6, in the packed City Hall chambers of the Board of Supervisors, the prestigious event, "Women Making History Awards Ceremony" embraced the theme "Women's Education, Women's Economic Strength, Women's Empowerment". The Mayor and each Supervisor, honored a woman of their choice. Congratulations to all the women for their commitment to the community. Among those recognized, were two ladies I know very well! SHEILA HARRIS-YOUNG, and DORRIS VINCENT.

SHEILA HARRIS-YOUNG and TONI YOUNG, honored by Supervisor Christina Olague (D-5). Ms. Harris-Young and Ms. Young are the mother-daughter duo behind the Fillmore Jazz District's BUMZY'S Chocolate Chip Cookies, a baking enterprise founded upon a three-generation chocolate chip cookie recipe. The sweet shoppe is located in the heart of the action on Fillmore Street, that's real cozy - the cookies are to DIE FOR!

Sheila Harris-Young's mother taught her to bake when she was growing up in Washington, D.C., and she remembers first making cookies for an orphanage her Girl Scout troop would visit. When she became a mother herself, she passed the cookie recipe and her baking talents on to her daughter Toni, whose childhood nickname was "BUMZY."

Together, the two volunteer weekly at the donation center at St. Anthony's Foundation, as well as the Lima Center at St. Dominic's church, which offers the homeless refuge and a hot shower. And daily, they are baking up delicious cookies!

DORRIS VINCENT, honored by Supervisor Malia Cohen (D-10), has been a resident of District 10 since 1961. She purchased her first home in the Bayview neighborhood, as a single mother, in 1961 and has been a tireless advocate and community member ever since. Among her many community involvement, served as a member of the Municipal Transportation Agency Citizens Advisory Council, and the Third Street Light Rail community Advisory group. Ms. Vincent's transportation advocacy contributed significantly to the Third Street Light Rail project. In her on words "she does a little each day for the good of the whole neighborhood."

Recently, Bassist/composer MARCUS SHELBY and his quartet, featuring the dynamic vocalist FAYE CAROL, performed a stimulating musical tribute at the Bayview Opera House, (BOH) to freedom fighter, Civil War hero, and Women's Suffrage champion HARRIET TUBMAN and The BLUES - an AWESOME EVENING! Joining Shelby on stage, stellar musicians - Howard Wiley, tenor and soprano sax (John Coltrane flavor), Adam Shulman, piano, and Jeff Marrs, drums.

Shelby has extensively researched and developed music that pay homage to Tubman, inspired in part by her profound use of music to free herself and countless other slaves. He has created original compositions, rearranged and re-orchestrated spirituals, freedom songs, jazz and blues music that illuminate the history and story of Ms. Tubman.

Ah, Faye Carol passionately captured the feeling of TUBMAN and women caught in the struggle to survive, "God Bless the Child that Got its own," TORE THE HOUSE DOWN! The phenomenal playwright MARY BOOKER, who has produced many plays at BOH, and I enthused over a haunting "In My Solitude," Carol's " I Will not Stand Still" - Felt her pain.

Marcus was THRILLED to be back in DA 'HOOD - expressed he wanted to return and perform on many more occasions. Stated he and his group travel all over the world but never get to perform for "OUR" people! Sunday was only the beginning of more music to come to the Bayview Opera House. Director BARBARA OCKEL, and The San Francisco Architectural Heritage, one of the main sponsors of the afternoon program, and San Francisco Art Commission, suggested they wanted to do more programming of music at the venue. PLEASE!

The afternoon highlighted SPECIAL Honoree Mrs. DORRIS VINCENT, steadfast Bayview community activist, supporter of the Bayview Opera House. There with her family, proud, regally dressed in fashion fit for an African Queen, spoke to the packed house, accepted beautiful bouquet of flowers, humbled by the outpouring of love from the community. In her on words, expressed, "she does a little each day for the good of the whole neighborhood." RIGHT ON, MY SISTER!

HEY, IT'S NICE TO BE NICE AND TO ALL OF YOU OUT THERE ... LOOK FOR ME ... I'LL BE THERE ...
E-mail Rochelle at iheard@earthlink.net