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Getting money for scholarships for a song
by LaToya Hankins - THE CHARLOTTE POST

Shirley Caesar

Gospel legends, superstars and up and coming acts will showcase their talents for a good cause later this month on BET.

The first Gospel Festival, an effort to raise funds for college scholarships, will air Sept. 26 from 7-11 p.m. The event will be hosted by Shirley Caesar and Edwin Hawkins and will feature performers such as Kirk Franklin and Nu Nation, Regina Belle and the Williams Brothers.

"Gospel music is really contagious and is a type of music that appeals to a variety of people. We want to connect with those people so that we can support providing a source of higher education to deserving young people," said Charles Smith, director of marketing and promotions for the United Negro College Fund.

UNCF, the Congress of National Black Churches and the National Urban League are the forces behind the project. The idea was conceived by William Gray, president of UNCF.

"With gospel music we will be taking the message deep into the black community and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to participate," Urban League president Hugh B. Price said said. "I would describe the show as a foot stomping good show and I promise it will be an amazing show to watch."

During the program, a number will be available for viewers to call and make donations.

Kirk Franklin

Smith said the event will be similar to the UNCF fund raiser Parade of Stars hosted by Lou Rawls.

"Education is the key and we want to assist students to get their college education," he said. "This is not something we are doing for ourselves, we are doing it for those young people to help them get a college education."

Two Saturday conferences will aim to uplift the lives of women.

Henderson Grove Church, 8724 Blair Road, will sponsor "Dying to Live" starting at 9 a.m. Mecklenburg General Baptist Ministers Wives will sponsor "Women of Courage: Preparing for the New Millennium" from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Ebenezer Baptist Church, 2020 W. Sugar Creek Road West.

Neither organization was aware of the other conference but organizers agree that more spiritual help for women is needed.

Giving women the courage to go into a new century is also the goal of the conference at Henderson Grove, said Vikki Stafford co-organizer of the event along with Rev. Lynette Johnson.

"People are hungry for the word and every vehicle we can use to spread it we will take it," Stafford said. "Our goal through this conference is that women will come together and learn how to guide our flesh to allow the spirit of God to work through us and for us."

"The ministers' wives have been having conferences every year so this year we decided to do this theme to give women encouragement for the new millennium," said Mitzi Dempsey, who along with chairwoman Phette Kerry has been working on the Baptist wives' project. "We want to give women encouragement and equip them with what they need before the millennium rather than give them information during the years."

Ministers' wives will conduct workshops on topics such as "God's Armor Bearer" and "Breaking the Power of Debt."

"We are using the symbol of the sword and the shield because we are equipping them with what they need to stay strong and be the backbone of the family," Dempsey said.

"We want people to know that the same God that was with us before will bring us through this."

For more information about the Henderson Grove conference, call Stafford at 679-5061. For information on the Baptist wives conference call Dempsey at 391-1502 or Kerry at 597-8944.