Author’s Notebook

Good News!! My 8th Great-Grandchild was born on September 17, 2025. We welcome to our family “Ariah Grace Doyle.” Congratulations to her parents. Congratulations to my son Jesse because this is his first granddaughter!! I now have 7 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren. God is Good. To God Be the Glory. It is a blessing!!

I created this column to make special announcements. I have been writing it for many years in the Criterion newspaper, and I have recorded many upcoming special events in the community and beyond. I have recorded essay contests and programs at the Merriweather library in my Author’s Notebook.

Special thanks to Mr. Solomon Myree for including me in his annual breakfast a few weeks ago, which highlighted leaders in the community for their positive contributions to our community in a variety of areas. Mr. Myree has always supported my work. He has purchased my books and shared them with his family.

He displayed my yard sign when I ran for Lt. Governor of New York State. He has attended my book signings and made donations to my work in the community. I greatly appreciate his ongoing support. He is a great supporter of the Criterion. Mr. Myree is a respected and honored Elder. We can all learn so much from him. Thank you Mr. Myree!!

Stay tuned to the Buffalo History Channel created by Doug Ruffin on YouTube. Mr. Ruffin has recorded so much of Buffalo’s African American History. He was the first person to interview me on Youtube on my creation of the African American Curriculum Center before I retired. He also contributed to my collection of Black history materials a very important documentary on the rulers of Black Egypt.

I used it in my classroom many times. If you type in the Buffalo History Channel with Doug Ruffin as the producer, you can see some of the interviews on history that he does. You can see the interview I did with him on the only Black supermarket in Buffalo, FIGMOS which was located on Jefferson Avenue.

Unfortunately, the building has been torn down. The owner was Mr. Douglass Goggins. He interviewed Mr. Goggins on his life as the owner of the only Black supermarket in Buffalo on Youtube. The Buffalo History channel is another way to record our history. Mr. Ruffin is also a recipient of the Eye On History Award for his many positive contributions to our community.