Parkland Juneteenth 2024 Speech
MEMORIES REVISITED
Eight decades of wisdom, clarity and lessons learned as a Black woman in America.
“As we age, our memories take on a special significance. You can access them and they comfort us in times of sadness. In times of happiness, we can share them and they bring us and others joy. Memories never die. The people you love may pass on, but the memories they leave are indelible.”
— Zelema Harris
- Memoir Stories -
ABOUT ZELEMA HARRIS
Zelema Harris, Ed.D spent most of her adult life in the field of education as president/CEO of community college districts and university administration. During that time, she served as President of one of the largest NAACP Chapters in the country, the Kansas City Missouri Branch of the NAACP. She has had three retirements in Illinois, Missouri, and Arizona. Zelema has been active in civil rights, women's rights, LGBTQ rights, labor rights, and eliminating the stigma of mental illness. Her publications and public speaking are in the areas of transformational leadership and diversity. She has also worked as an educational consultant in the U.S., South Africa, Thailand, Ukraine, Great Britain, and Austria.
She received two graduate degrees from the School of Education, University of Kansas, and her undergraduate degree from Prairie View A&M University (an HBCU).
Zelema has three adult children, (two daughters and a son), two adult stepdaughters, and a teenage granddaughter.
Zelema’s hobbies include reading historical fiction, and non-fiction on contemporary social issues, writing her monthly blog, and walking and gardening flowers and vegetables. Zelema is most passionate about mentoring and advising family, friends, and others who seek her advice.
WEBSITE CREDITS
website created by Cynthia Bond and designed by James Harris
background home page cover art:
"Street Signs" oil on canvas by Solomon Thurman Jr.