Tuesday, November 3, 2009

“Go, Tell Michelle” Contributor Sharon Holley To Receive Zora Neale Hurston Award




Storyteller, Sharon Jordan Holley will receive the Zora Neale Hurston Award at the “In the tradition…” 27th Annual Black Storytelling Festival & Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas, November 11-15, 2009. The Zora Neale Hurston Award is the highest honor given by the National Association of Black Storytellers, Inc. (NABS) to an individual who has contributed significantly to the preservation and perpetuation of African American Folklore.

Sharon who hails from High Springs, Florida is a retired librarian from the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. She is a founding and performing member of Spin-A-Story Tellers of Western New York and co-founder of Tradition Keepers: Black Storytellers of Western New York. She is also a member of the National Storytelling Network and the National Association of Black Storytellers, Inc. Her storytelling experience has taken her throughout Western New York and in many other areas of the country, where she has performed at libraries, schools, community events, colleges and other venues. Sharon also performs stories and plays percussion with Daughters of Creative Sound: an African American women’s drum and percussion group in Buffalo, New York. Storytelling members of Daughters of Creative Sound will also be featured tellers at the 27th Annual Black Storytelling Festival & Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas.

In addition to storytelling, Sharon serves on the Board of the Afro-American Historical Association of the Niagara Frontier and the Michigan Street Preservation Corp. She is a member of the Buffalo Genealogical Society of the African Diaspora and works with the Juneteenth Committee and the Kwanzaa Committee of Buffalo. Sharon has received numerous awards for service to the community and has been recognized as an “Uncrowned Queen” by the Uncrowned Queens Institute. She is a member of Agape A.M.E. Church. Sharon is married to Kenneth Holley and they are the parents of three daughters and three grandchildren.



(Daughters of Creative Sound - Sharon Holley, 4th from left)

2 comments:

  1. So Greatly Deserved!!!! This
    sister introduced me to myself! Thank You Sister Sharon Holley.
    vicky

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wonderful, wonderful! I really love Mrs. Holley's passion about her calling. She is truly one of my favorite people in Buffalo! When I resided in Buffalo, my son and I often frequented and supported the Holley's Bookstore! I admire her and really appreciate her love of our culture and her commitment to building and enlightening our literary communities! Certainly I will be sharing her newsworthy awards and endeavors on my blog! GTM Sisterhood Network you’re doing an outstanding job! Witnessing your sojourn with "Go Tell Michelle" is a blessed testament of a very impressive vision! God bless you!

    Linda Mose Meadows,
    Urban Views Inspirational Columnist and Author:
    The Blessedness of Believing
    A Devotional Journey of Life's Lessons and God's Promises

    ReplyDelete