Then There Was Nia

By Marian Olivia Heath Griffin

The history of people must be told to their children. Each child who is born into a family has an oral and written history, which we should present to our children and not hide it under a bushel. This book is a sequel to Cultural Gumbo, Our Roots, Our Stories and A Diary of Lettie’s Daughter. I have used my family members to tell the stories because I can trace their footsteps through oral and documented tradition and history.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 20, 2018
• ISBN: 9781984573346

Marian Olivia Heath Griffin

Marian Olivia Heath Griffin lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana with her husband of fifty-eight years. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor and College Administrator (retired) for thirty-six years, the last seven years as Director of International Student Affairs. After she retired from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, she decided to utilize her degree in Mass Communication and Photography to tell her people’s stories and history. Griffin graduated from Delaware State University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology and Psychology, a Master’s Degree program in Atlanta University School of Social Work, a Master’s Degree program at Gammon Theological Seminary of the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta. She received her Master’s Degree from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in Psychological Counseling and Social Work. She received a Master’s Degree in Educational Supervision and Mass Communication and Photography from Southern University. She did further study at Louisiana State University and Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. She studied Genealogy at the East Baton Rouge Parish Library in Baton Rouge. She has traveled over the fifty states of the U.S. and six of the seven continents. She has written eighteen books in two years, published them with XLIBRIS and compiled and published two photo books with MYCANVAS BY ALEXANDER. She is proud of her three children: Rev. Bertrand, II (Rev. Kotosha Seals Griffin), Karen G. Phenix, (Keith Phenix) and Dr. Michael (Tracie Haydel Griffin). She adores her eight grandchildren: Nia, Kiara, Christian-Paris, Michael, II. Amelia-Grai, Victoria, Olivia and Sophia – all Griffins and one god-child, Whitney White, one great grandchild – Keomi Phenix, one great- godchild, Amelia Pleasant and her brother, Warren, six great- nieces, Whitney Foucheaux, Amoree Sanders, and Danee Heath, Tikia and Lentia Brown, and great nephews: Bobbie, Jr., Enrique and Alberto Garcia, Tyler Heath, Lauren and Kee Kee Dennis, Arshawon Brown (recently deceased), Willie, Jermaine. Brown, Michael Martin and sons, and Devonte Walker.

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Copyright © 2019 by Marian Olivia Heath Griffin.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2018914935

ISBN:                  Hardcover                       978-1-9845-7332-2

                            Softcover                         978-1-9845-7331-5

                            eBook                              978-1-9845-7334-6

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. [Biblica]

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Website

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 12/19/2018

Xlibris

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CONTENTS

Author’s Notes

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Chapter I       What We Want, What We Need

God’s Promise To Abraham

Asking For A Grandchild

The Old Mule And The Farmer

Chapter II      Make It Happen

Amelia Grai’s Birthday Bake Sale

Two Dusty Travelers

Chapter III     Nia Is Here

King Saul And The Shepherd David

My Three Olivias

The Boy’s Fish And Bread Story

Olivia’s Riddles

Chapter IV     Nia’s Time

Nia’s Birth

Preachers In The Family

Other Family Dynamics

The Wedding

You Were There, Nia

Great Grandmother Leah Chase Speaks

Father’s Day

Chapter V       Bertrand Ii Too

The Unjust Judge And The Persistent Widow

Adoption Not An Option

Chapter VI     A Father Ran

Not Counting The Cost

I Value Me

Chapter VII     Nia’s Young Life

Nia’s Track Career

Chapter VIII  Lucy, Mother Of The Earth

Lucy’s Legacy: The Hidden Treasures Of Ethiopia

References Of Lucy’s Legecy

Conclusion

Bibliography

Reference Books

AUTHOR’S NOTES

T his book is dedicated to Nia Olivia Griffin, our first grandchild. Subsequently, it is dedicated to an additional seven grandchildren, Kiara Janelle, Christian-Paris Bertrand, III, Michael Gerard, II, Amelia Grai Addison, Victoria Olivia, Olivia Christina and Sophia Morgan- all Griffins.

Griffin is half eagle, half lion; head and wings like an eagle and a body like a lion. Griffins are king of the air and king of the beast of the field with a long bobbed tail.

Remember to hold dear to those things that protect your personhood and history and guard those things. Our parents make unique contributions to the world. Moreover, raising another human being is a slow and tedious task.

Why do we beg to take on this task? Because God ordained it.

God said to male and female when He created them after His own image, Be fruitful and multiply. (Gen. 1: 28.)

An old African oral tradition is We have to learn to let go of our defenses and any need to control. We have to trust the spirit of God absolutely for guidance.

I have found that when one door closes for one of God’s children, another door always opens to those who love the Lord.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Phil. 4:4-9, NIV.)

Let us consider that man is the synthesis of the universe. Good is everything that promotes and increases the life forces. (African Oral tradition.)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am delighted to have an acknowledgement page. It affords me the opportunity of thanking the many persons in my life who have early on to the present time impacted my life throughout the years.

Let me acknowledge my mother, Lettie Harper Heath, the light of my life, who was loved by all she met and played the piano for numerous churches in our county because she was the only accomplished pianist in the area.

My father, George Heath who never ignored his children or other people’s children. He was the Sunday school superintendent at our small rural church all the years we were growing up and would take the children on bus trips every spring and summer and celebrate every holiday with the children and adults of the church.

To my siblings: George Heath Jr, Nancy and Albert Kellam, Joseph and Barbara Heath, I owe much gratitude for surrounding me and supporting me with praise and laughter as I put down my thoughts and imagination in this book. There were three more adult siblings who have passed on into heaven, I hope – Phyllis, Daniel and Hattie.

Let me acknowledge Nia’s mother, Shawana and father, Bertrand II whose ‘input’ made this book possible.

I acknowledge special friends who have been supportive of me for many more years than I can name: Dr. Leslie and Roszetta Norris, Dr. Jonathan and Geraldine Roberts, Dr. Jesse Douglas and Margaret Smith.

Thanks to my children, Bertrand II and Kotosha Griffin, Karen and Keith Phenix, and Michael and Tracie Griffin. They are my technologists, researchers and editors and psychological supporters.

Thanks to my grandchildren who are special and adorable to me. Nia Olivia, Kiara Janelle, Christian-Paris Bertrand III, Michael II, Amelia Grai Addison, Victoria Olivia, Olivia Christina and Sophia Morgan who believe in me and have ignited the spark in me to write about our family, both ancestors and descendants. They are my team.

My heart goes out to them for they have taught me so much about todays’ children and youth. They give me the answers to some of my questions.

I can see and understand better how children’s hopes and fears, their dances and songs, their school time and fun time, their goals in life, their strengths and their mistakes will impact the world for centuries to come.

Our children and grandchildren have had some of the best teachers for which we are thankful. The wisdom and knowledge of these teachers have helped mold and shape Nia and all the other grandchildren.

Everyone is precious through the eyes of someone. We presuppose that every child is precious to his parents, then to his teachers. Thank you, teachers.

Peter Temes, in his book, THE POWER OF PURPOSE, states "In the twenty-first century, we take for granted that every parent does indeed believe that his or her son is worthy of attention and care. (p. 36.)

An old adage is that Children turn to their parents in order to make sense of the world.

We can never look forward to posterity if we do not look back to our ancestors. Thanks to my ancestors for somehow with grit and might made it over the Atlantic Ocean during the Atlantic Slave Trade era during the middle seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

Another group of people that I wish to acknowledge are the Sanctuary choir members at St. Mark United Methodist church who have been supportive including Vinnie Davis, Edwina Jackson, Tracie and Marelyn Branch, Dorothy Collins, Sylvia Sanders, Ethel Blaze, Catherine and Semmie Martin, Johnnie and John Tate, Gaylord Bell, Ernest Lee, Edna Hickman, Larry Anderson, Karla Chappell, Amy Baker, Michael Branch and others.

Then there is my Cherubim choir and their parents and grandparents, especially Eunice Simmons, Sophia Ennin, Mandy Avila, Andrea Tilman, Jayme Rooks, Dr. Kenettia Haynes. Arica LeVigne, Deidra Vincent and others.

Others who are cooperative and supportive are the Ninety-Plus group at St. Mark United Methodist church which I established. I started this group for the purpose of having younger church members enhance their relationships with the elderly persons in our church. Our Ninety- Plus group are just wonderful people. They are Mildred Bowie, Eleanor Miles, Doris Thompson who are one hundred years or older and Vertlee Washington, Ruth Myers, Alice Stepter, Emily Marshall, Nathalie Holaman and others who are in their late nineties. They always encourage the young members of the church: the young and the old mesh.

Other supportive church members are Dollene Sims, Charlotte Burkhalter, Oletha Dees, James Bowman, Loyd Northern, Roselyn Magee and Sandra Kuykendall.

To my precious St. Mark United Methodist clergy: Pastor Simon Chicumari, Rev. Glorious Wright, Rev. Bertrand Griffin, Sr and Rev. Willie Laws: Just a plain old thank you for all you do.

Let me say thanks to the staff in the East Baton Rouge library Scotlandville Branch for guiding me and directing me in my research on topics of which I know very little. They include Pamala Donaldson, Chad J. Cooper and Jennifer L. Thompson.

Let me acknowledge sorority members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority including Janifer Peters, Susie Boudreaux, Lorita Frank, Gwen Thomas, Gloria and Carman Spooner, Lovenia Deconge-Watson, Katina Semien, Sanettria Pleasant, Jaimelle Thomas, Marvis H. Lewis, Sheila Harrell, Cornelia Brossette, Sandra Hall, Bobbie Ned, Judy P. Reed, Beverly Wade, Kismet Gray, Myrtly Joyner, Melba Moye, Marilyn Ray Jones, Geraldine & Joni Roberts, Julia Purnell (deceased) and so many others. You have enriched my life ten times over as our chapter: Gamma Eta Omega continues to make a viable presence in the lives of so many.

To Elaine Sims and the beauty shop bunch. Thank you.