Listen to your sisters when stepping out
Monty Luke, Guyanese entertainment promoter dead at 80
Caribbean Life, MAY 7-13, 2021 47
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
There’s some mail for you.
And it’s not the e-variety,
either; it was brought by a
human, carried down the street
and left at your home. It’s in an
envelope with a stamp, and
the good news is that it isn’t
a bill. It’s a letter for you, and
in “Dear Black Girl” by Tamara
Winfrey Harris, it could be
important.
Well over a year ago, in
anticipation of a workshop she
was giving for a group of Black
girls, Tamara Winfrey Harris
asked a small group of Black
women to write letters of support
and positivity to give the
girls. She wanted the letters to
be “loving, truthful… feminist,
anti-racist…and pro-Black
girl.” She figured she’d receive
twelve letters to hand out.
She got “more than fifty
from all over the world.”
There’s a history behind the
need Harris sees for these letters.
For four hundred years,
she says, Black girls have been
laboring under myths that belie
their vulnerability; that make
them more “grown” than they
are, physically and emotionally;
and that steal the opportunities
they have to love their bodies,
their hair, and themselves. The
lies ignore Black girls’ hopes
and wishes. and “lies can start
to feel like facts.”
But: “Dear Black Girl…”
“Sometimes, it’s hard to
remember that you are a star,”
says one letter-writer. Another
reminds girls that melanin
is “an asset!” Others write
acknowledge the issues of being
a Black girl in a white family or
foster situation.
“… love your body beyond
how appealing it is to others,”
says one writer.
Remember that “there is
no single definition of family.”
Love your mother but know
that “daughtering ain’t easy,”
either. You will attract close
friends when you “learn to love,
honor and value yourself…”
Know that there’s “no
shame” in working to pay the
bills but life is better if a job
is “a thing you really love and
that suits you.” There’s also
no shame in making your own
path, in asking for help, or in
surviving.
“You are hope and promise
for tomorrow in Black girl
skin.”
Don’t you wish there was
a book like this around when
you were a teenager? Nobody’d
blame you if you did; even
Grandma probably wished she’d
had “Dear Black Girl.”
Bottom line: it’s time for
a book like this that doesn’t
feel high-horsey or superior or
preachy. No, author Tamara
Winfrey Harris pulled together
letters that are relevant and
everyday, and that don’t make
harsh demands on its readers.
Instead, there’s empathy
in here, a been-there-done-that
tone, and a sense that a girl is
about to be taken under someone’s
wing for awhile. Letters
are loosely categorized, they’re
accompanied by drop-in “Know
This” pages of explanation, and
there’s room for a girl to write
a letter to herself to sort her
feelings now, or note-taking
for later.
Beware that some of the letter
writers dive deep into raw
subjects, making this book best
for ages 13-and-up. Give “Dear
Black Girl” to your favorite
teen, and envelope her in all
its love.
“Dear Black Girl: Letters
from Your Sisters on
Stepping Into Your Power”
by Tamara Winfrey Harris
c.2021, Barrett-Koehler
Publishers, Inc.
$16.95 / $22.95
Canada
185 pages
Book cover of “Dear Black Girl: Letters from Your Sisters on
Stepping Into Your Power” by Tamara Winfrey Harris.
By Tangerine Clarke
Guyanese-American promoter,
Monty Luke, has left a legacy
of great entertainment, and a
long line of party goers sad at his
sudden passing on April 25, after
celebrating his 80th birthday on
April 1, in his usual fine style.
Patrons said they were in
a state of shock, many, who
attended summer boat cruises
hosted by the former deejay.
Luke, a flashy dresser, earned a
sterling reputation as an accomplished
music promoter for
years, and was acknowledged as
a pioneering promoter of Reggae
music in Guyana.
Luke was honored with a
citation from the Senate and
General Assembly of New Jersey
in commemoration of the
52nd Anniversary of Independence
of Guyana and Flag raising
in 2018, hosted by the Guyana
American Heritage Foundation
Inc., (GAHFI) New Jersey, for his
meritorious record of service,
leadership, commitment and
sterling reputation.
Lady Ira Lewis, fellow promoter,
friend, and president of
GAHFI, described Luke as a
caring, charitable person who,
days before passing, had asked
to have the organization’s food
distribution be extended to his
community.
A former Harlem resident,
Luke’s work was hailed as a
model to emulate. “Within all
the spheres of his life and work,
Monty Luke has established
a model to emulate and set a
standard of excellence toward
which others might strive,”
states the citation.
A graduate of the Fashion
Institute of Technology and
Baruch College, Luke served
with distinction as an outstanding
educator in the secondary
public schools in Guyana, and
enjoyed a superb career within
the fashion industry, including
as the owner or Genesis, a European
style boutique in Brooklyn,
and was the only Brooklyn
distributor of America’s fist
black internationally acclaimed
designer, Willi Smith.
In 1981, Luke launched the
first Miss Guyana USA Pageant
in American, and shared his wisdom
and expertise in producing
one of the biggest Guyanese hit
songs in North America, “Sharon
Sharon.”
Oldest daughter, Debbie
Luke, told Caribbean Life that
her father, and parent to her five
siblings, had created a journal
to chronicle his retirement, and
then returned to the community
to continue promoting his
social events.
“When I was growing up, my
dad traveled a lot. He was not
at home often, but we stayed in
touch constantly.”
“Just prior his death, he had
printed business cards and raffle
tickets, as he was organizing
a fundraiser for Kids for Us, a
charity that donates school supplies
and backpacks to children
in Guyana. He had accepted the
position to serve as secretary,”
said Debbie Luke.
She said he was excited about
turning 80, and had started
planning for the big milestone
since 2020, but due to the coronavirus
pandemic, he was forced
to put everything on hold.
Fortunately, he enjoyed a
small celebration with friends
on April 10, nine days after his
birthday celebration was rained
out. Friend Michael Deabreu
Luthers, owner of Talk AD-Town
Radio hosted the hang.
“The celebration was beautiful.
Monty was a popular person.
He was a member of multiple
organizations, like the Lions
Club, Church groups, among
many others.”
“He had a deep connection
to the community. Every year
more and more people got to
know him because of his promotions.
He was a great teacher.
He always gave the right
advice, and he was charitable,”
said Michael Deabreu Luthers,
who was one of many friends,
including, Charles Springer,
owner of Springer Screen Printing,
whose birthday party Monty
recently attended.
“We had big plans for the
month of July to give back to
the community,” continued,
Deabreu Luthers, who respected
the elder man, whom he said
enjoyed being among the younger
Guyanese generation.
Guyanese-American promoter,
Monty Luke.
Michael Deabreu Luthers, Talk AD-Town
Radio