The Scheie Eye Institute welcomed back Pastor Keon A. Gerow, who closed the celebration with a powerful sermon.
By Alexandra Brodin
Scheie Vision Summer 2020
On February 20, 2020, the Scheie Eye Institute celebrated its seventh annual African American Luncheon in observance of Black History Month. Five staff members at Scheie—Phyllis Robinson, Nekisha Ammons, Marquis Vaughn, Denna Martin, and Selam Zenebe-Gete—organized the luncheon, which took place in the Kozart Auditorium of the Scheie Eye Institute. The event was open to faculty, staff, and guests.
The event serves as a way to come together in recognition and celebration of the central role African American individuals play in United States history and culture. “The African American event to me is a time for reflection and celebration of the hardships and triumphs of our complex history,” said Marquis. “It’s an important opportunity to bring the hospital and the community together, as well as to educate the youth and honor our elders.”
Laura Ball, a beloved member of the Scheie family, organized the inaugural event along with Phyllis Robinson. This year, Ms. Ball was memorialized with beautiful quotes from her friends and coworkers.
The luncheon featured a large buffet of soul food and other homemade dishes, prepared by Scheie faculty and staff members. Marquis gave a short introduction to open the festivities. Joan O’Brien, MD, Chairman of the Ophthalmology Department, followed with a video presentation on the 1920s Harlem Renaissance, an artistic and political movement led by key African Americans figures, such as poet Langston Hughes and author Zora Neale Hurston.
The entertainment for the event was provided by talented speakers, musicians, and community leaders from the Scheie Eye Institute and the Philadelphia area. Scheie’s own Alisa Harris (Practice Manager) and Brian Holmes (Photographer) each gave inspirational solo vocal performances. Pearette Allen-Hill, friend of Scheie employee Al Johnson, also sang at the event.
Kihya Floyd, daughter of Scheie technician Diamond Floyd, performed an original poem that movingly underscored the irony of Philadelphia’s nickname, the City of Brotherly Love, in the wake of violence against African Americans. The reading was followed by a musical performance by Karen Smith, local percussionist, playwright, producer, and poet. She works in partnership with the Philadelphia Jazz Project and was featured in their 2015 Mysterious Traveler Concert Series. At the luncheon, Ms. Smith played a percussive melody on the steel tongue drum.
Author, motivational speaker, and life coach Fiona Harewood followed this performance with an uplifting talk about her experiences returning to school for her Master’s in Public Policy at age 44, despite the responsibilities of parenthood and full-time employment. She inspired listeners with the message encapsulated by the title of her first book, I Did It … You Can Too! Ms. Harewood also spoke passionately about domestic violence against women, which she covers in her second book, River Never Smooth: Reclaiming Power After Abuse. Her husband, Grantly Harewood, works at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center.
A member of the Scheie Eye Institute’s Vision Loss Support Group, Yvonne Hughes, also gave a talk about her experiences and advocacy efforts in the Philadelphia community. She spoke about her refusal to allow visual impairment to keep her from achieving her goals. Ms. Hughes uses her voice to effect change and encourages others with all degrees of physical ability to become more involved in their communities. She is also a Reading Captain at the Free Library of Philadelphia and brought books to the event for attendees to explore and take home at no charge.
To close the celebration, the Scheie Eye Institute was delighted to welcome back Pastor Keon A. Gerow. Pastor Gerow is the founder and Senior Pastor of Catalyst Church, and is currently on the board of the Lutheran Theological Seminary’s Urban Theological Institute and Graduate Philadelphia. He was inducted into the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Preachers at Morehouse College as a Distinguished Preacher, and he has spoken before local, national, and international audiences.
In his third appearance as keynote speaker for the African American Luncheon, Pastor Gerow gave a powerful sermon that opened with a message about the importance of Black History Month. He affirmed the ongoing need for this annual observance in American culture and education. He also encouraged listeners to recognize not only the heroism of well-known Black leaders, such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, but also that of everyday African Americans, whose lives reflect the same inspiring resilience. Amid cheers and words of appreciation from the audience, Pastor Gerow expressed that America still has a long way to go for racial justice and equality, but emphasized the importance of maintaining hope and faith to progress in this movement.
“This is an annual celebration of African American History Month, organized by African American staff leaders in our Department,” said Dr. O’Brien. “It is a time to celebrate this important history, while recognizing the ongoing problem of systemic racism in the United States. This event provides a context for reflection, as we recall the problems of the past, engage with the realities of the present, and listen and learn in order to foresee a truly better future.”
