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Concerned Citizens of Tillery

GRANT-BRILEY HEADLINES 8th ANNUAL CULTURAL ARTS EVENT

7/1/2018

21 Comments

 
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The 8th Annual Cultural Arts Event was held on Saturday, June 30, 2017 at the Tillery Community Center, 321 Community Center Road, Tillery, N.C. The event, presented in two parts. Part I began at 10am, featuring Tillery’s own Evangeline Grant Briley. Part Two began at 1pm, offering a variety of talent.

Briley presented on “Meet The Extraordinary Women of Historic Tillery." Evangeline has led an extraordinary life as a social change advocate and in breaking racial barriers in the media.

In January, 1969, after several years as a social worker for the Halifax County School System, on her own initiative she became the first African American in North Carolina to produce and host a television show. Together with Evangeline was a must see weekly media event featuring local and state wide African American guests in politics, education, religion, food service and community service. It was seen over WNCT-TV, Greenville, N.C.

In 1971, Evangeline became the first woman and the first African American to produce/host for North Carolina public television. She traveled the state with a television crew interviewing students, educators, parents, and school officials on the problems and solutions of school integration. Thursday’s Child (has far to go) was an award-winning 10-program series viewed statewide.

She later established her own production/publishing company, EVAN-REDD PRODUCTIONS, INC, under which she and her brother, Gary Grant, produced Heritage of Hope, financed by a first-time grant from UNC-TV, and viewed state wide. Grant-Briley published two books, nothing: the mentality of the black woman and Anthony Debro: Something Special.

Her outstanding work has also included Cultural Arts Director for the new town, Soul City, founded by the late Attorney Floyd McKissick, Sr. Her activism with international causes célèbres include The Wilmington Ten, the Joanne Little Case, Freedom for Mandela, and her controversial marriage to death row inmate, James Briley, in a failed attempt to stop his execution. She succeeded in bringing world-wide attention to the racism and unfairness of America’s death penalty jurisprudence.

For several years forward she was in great demand for television death penalty interviews across the nation including, Donahue, Oprah, and Sally Jessey Raphael television shows.

In ten subsequent years she was the primary care-giver for her aging parents, the late Matthew and Florenza Moore Grant, and at age 77 years, Evangeline continues to be an active and adoring parent of four children and five grandchildren, a sweetheart to her former high school “boo”, and to be a helpful and inspiring sister, friend and neighbor.

Evangeline was introduced by her only son, Gary R. Redding, CCT Board Chair, and a professor of English at Halifax Community College, Weldon. 

Performing in Part II of the afternoon ARTS SECTION was youth performer Spoken Word artist Joshua Godwin, a rising 2nd year student at St. Andrews University. Godwin performed under the name of “Duece the Poet” and hails from Scotland Neck. Other performers included international recording and performing artist Connie Harvey of Tillery; Nicole Boone (“Gospel Jim, Jr.”of WYAL Radio), hailing from Northampton County; and famed recording jazz artist Ermitt Williams, “Mr. Blues” of St. Johns Island, SC. This annual major program continues to seek performers for the ARTS SECTION of the program. Singers, dancers, instrumentalists, spoken word enthusiasts, and crafters are also welcome to display and sell crafts. The event highlights talents of persons in the five counties along the Roanoke River.

It was an exciting occasion and was open to the public at no charge. The event was supported in part by the NC Arts Council, "a division of the Department of Cultural Resources, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.”

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During the program, Gary R. Grant and Connie Harvey led the special tribute to Tillery’s own “Lady Day”, the late Theresa Harvey who passed on February 26, 2018. Mrs. Harvey had been performing in all of the Cultural Events since its founding in 2011. Later in the program, her daughter Connie Harvey and her cousin “Mr. Blues” sang several songs in remembrance of her.
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Cultural Arts Performers for this show were (L-R) Duece the Poet; Ermitt Williams - “Mr. Blues”: Grover Rook, Denise Boone, ----- and Connie Harvey.
21 Comments
Robert E. Miss link
4/14/2019 10:57:54 am

I was the UNC-TV director who worked with Evangeline Grant Redding now Briley to produce Heritage of Hope back in the 1970s. It was thrilling and inspirational to work with her. She also helped me and my children in a very trying time. I left the network and have not seen Evangeline since. I now live in Dobbs Ferry, NY. Would you please give her my email or send me hers so I can re-connect with her.
Thanks. Robert Edward Miss 914-714-2295

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Chrystal
8/4/2020 11:27:29 am

Thank you for your kind words, Mr. Miss! ❤️

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James Walters
11/17/2019 02:15:49 am

This woman should be special needs, She married a piece of shit. I see why she was attracted to the animal. I wish he could have treated a member of her family as kindly as he treated some of his victims, Piss on this turd.

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kim Thomas
4/22/2020 01:06:37 pm

I agree

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Chrystal
8/4/2020 11:19:45 am

Same blessing for you, Ms. Thomas, as was prayed for Mr. Walters.

Chrystal
8/4/2020 11:18:24 am

Mr. Walters, may God create in you a clean heart and renew a right Spirit within you.
You obviously need it.

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W. H.
3/4/2021 07:57:01 pm

I was the courtroom artist at the murder trials, it was black on black crime, (all but one murder), and the jury was full of good, decent black folks who handed the man the "guilty" verdict for multiple murders, including the murder of a 5 year old child and a heavily pregnant woman. Many officers of the court were black as well. She had no right claiming "racism" in this case. I was there, I know.

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Cristina De La Torre
2/1/2020 07:03:33 am

I never even heard of this idiot until I watched Evil Kin & googled the pieces of shit Briley Brothers. James Walters, I couldn’t agree with you more.

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Chrystal
8/4/2020 11:21:10 am

Ms. De La Torre, may God create inyin a clean heart and renew a right Spirit within you. Judge so that you will not be judged.

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Chrystal
8/4/2020 11:29:33 am

Correction: Ms. De La Torre, may God create in you a clean heart and renew a right Spirit within you. Judge so that you will not be judged.

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V. Robertson
3/25/2020 12:48:59 pm

This woman is totally deranged!!!!
She ignored ALL the proven facts & evidence that proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Brileys & their gang were totally guilty of these heinous crimes!!!
She thinks they are innocent just because of their color.......TOTALLY ABSURD THINKING!!!! EVIL IS EVIL - NO COLOR ATTACHED!!!!! And these ANIMALS were & are guilty!!! They deserved EVERYTHING they got and more!!!!!

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Chrystal
8/4/2020 11:22:57 am

V. Robertson, May the evil you proclaim on others return to you.
AND your family.

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barrelthief
10/22/2021 05:19:46 am

Chrystal, may God create in you a clean heart and renew a right Spirit within you. Judge so that you will not be judged

Likmereet
4/5/2020 06:09:29 pm

This woman is a racist piece of shit. She should be raped, beaten and murdered just like the Brileys did to their victims.

Oh, and Robert. You can go choke on a dick.

Reply
Chrystal
8/4/2020 11:25:53 am

Likmereet, made the evil curses you have proclaimed on others return to you. AND your family.
I pray you live long enough to experience it, too.

God is the FINAL judge.

Reply
barrelthief
10/22/2021 05:18:49 am

may God create in you a clean heart and renew a right Spirit within you. Judge so that you will not be judged

Chrystal
10/22/2021 06:18:08 am

Yes, Mr. "barrelthief"... Let everybody who left comments not judge so that they in turn will not be judged by God Almighty. HE has the final say. And for those who don't know or understand or even believe in the Bible, Christ forgave a thief right on the cross. And he went to live with Jesus in heaven. May God save all your souls.

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Renee
10/30/2022 03:24:44 pm

He asked to be remembered. It doesn't say he would make it there.

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Savage
8/21/2022 05:14:24 am

How is this stupid hoe celebrated?! …and Chrystal miss me with the “may god save your soul” cause you don’t have one demon so don’t speak on those who do.

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OhReally
9/12/2022 09:12:33 am

I just finished watching another documentary about the Briley Brothers. I always wondered what happened to the idiot that married and advocated for that serial butcher.

Reply
Yolanda k Foster
10/10/2022 05:51:40 pm

O my

Reply



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