KALAMAZOO (MICH.) – Actress Giovonnie Samuels of such films as Freedom Writers and Bring it On, will host a “How to Audition for Hollywood,” workshop for youth in grades 3rd-12th. The workshop will be held from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturday, May 21, 2022, at the Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan Conference Center, 601
Thanks to our partners at the Crossroads Mall in Portage, Michigan, the Explorers had another successful gift-wrapping fundraiser! Our goal for our 5th year of fundraising was $6,000. While we were a bit short of the goal, we were very close, thanks to the Explorers, their families, and community members who contributed their time, and
Sierra Ward was asked to create a special message for the donors who attended the Donor Appreciation Luncheon on November 11th at the WMU Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine. Her message opened the event where nearly 150 donors, staff, and administration of WMed celebrated students of color who received scholarships. Sierra’s poem is used
BUY TICKETS AT THIS LINK: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/henrietta-lacks-traveling-museum-tickets-208951799457?aff=HeLa KALAMAZOO (MICH)- The Merze Tate Explorers has once again partnered with local curator Jermaine Jackson for a history exhibit. The Henrietta Lacks Traveling Museum will be featured in Kalamazoo November 20-21st at the Radisson Plaza Hotel and Suites, downtown Kalamazoo. Jackson curated the exhibit a few years ago after
The Merze Tate Explorers provided more than 20 hours of community service at the Crossroads Mall. This free community Trick or Treat event provided candy, entertainment, and cash prizes to youth who sought an alternative to door-to-door trick or treating. Nearly 200 youth ages 0-7 entered the costume contest with smiles and a few tears.
Western Michigan University Provost Jennifer Bott is inviting the community to celebrate history in the making. Dr. Vernie Merze Tate (1905-1996) was a 1927 graduate of the university (See details of her life in the previous post.) Her dedication to the university during her life and in the bequests she left upon her death will
The Merze Tate Explorers joins Jermaine Jackson in a celebration of history and art in the 2nd Annual Juneteenth Celebration in Kalamazoo. The event, themed, Black Fathers Matter, will be held from Noon to 6 p.m., Saturday, June 19th in Arcadia Creek Festival Site in downtown Kalamazoo, the 156th anniversary of Juneteenth. The event celebrates
When girls from two continents join forces they can change their worlds. The Merze Tate Explorers and the WoteSawa Domestic Workers Organization in Tanzania have brought their talents together for an international scholarship fundraiser! Their goal to raise $10,000 to split between both organizations will help provide educational scholarships for girls. The Explorers worked to
TASTE OF THE WORLD TO RAISE $10,000 FOR GIRLS ON TWO CONTINENTS! KALAMAZOO (MICH.) – When Colleagues International passed the Taste of the World fund-raising event to the Merze Tate Explorers, the pandemic hit. Not only were the plans for a fundraiser canceled, so was their study abroad to South Africa. A year later, a
Merze Tate graduated from Western Michigan University in 1927. Not only did she graduate with the highest academic record at that time, she later left more than $1 million to the school that helped in her success. Tate is featured in various articles and news casts for Black History Month. Check out what others are