SUZANNE BROOKS    

• Civil rights activist 

• CEO International Association for Women of Color Day

• Former police officer 

• Licensed private investigator

• LaSalle University 2000 Most Outstanding Alumna of 1970's

• Who's Who American Women

• Who's Who Global Business Leaders

• Who's Who American Colleges and Universities 

• YWCA Racial Justice Award

Suzanne Brooks
Musician, Mentor, Educator
and Encourager of Dreams

By Melanie Noel Light

‘Some lives are great but . . . none of us are perfect. Yet in the time we have, we Experience the unforgettable.’

Originally from Philadelphia, PA., Suzanne Brooks was born on January 20, 1941. She is a musician, a teacher, a mentor and an educator. And she calls herself a “woman singer with a band” because she finds that singers in the music industry are often underrated as musicians, especially in jazz, when the numbers of singers is examined. Suzanne is working to end stereotypes in the world of music and is aiming to replace those stereotypes with respect for working musicians and equity for women performers.

“Show business is about the time and effort you put into it; there’s a huge business end to it. It’s not about glamour, drugs, sexuality, etc.” It’s about hard work by creative artists and smart business people.

Ms. Brooks has studied with several vocal coaches, including the well-known creator of Speech Level Singing, which includes learning to sing without fatigue and injury, using your speaking voice. Suzanne has her own coaching method, which is offered in a “Session for Singers” workshop twice monthly. Believing that each singer has to learn in his/her own way, she encourages individualism and teaches ethics and values. She teaches “how to be a professional,” which includes business strategies, and helps other “find their own sound and image.”

Suzanne attended an improvisation workshop with noted Bobby McFerrin (the first workshop, in fact, that he’d ever done) with other singers from around the world. She has extensive training, and yet believes that musicians don’t need a teacher’s guidance all the time; that they need to practice and develop on their own as well. And she’s got plenty more practical advice on things often overlooked…like looking out for oneself and one’s things; perhaps even traveling with a chaperone; making sure to get plenty of rest as “physical fatigue will affect your voice, even alcohol, diet, hydration, etc.”

Suzanne is a professional singer/musician and business owner with her own employees and her own band. She respects those she works with and is sure to always treat them like the exquisite people that they are. She’s also a strong teacher and mentor with a tremendous amount of wisdom, sensibility and consideration. And, for her students and clients, all at a very reasonable rate to boot.

“I don’t want to be battling people for money,” Suzanne admits. “While making money as a musician is important, it can’t be all about the money.” With a complete recording/production studio of her own, Suzanne says that a singer without a lot of resources can operate on a smaller budget through her. Each session with Suzanne is only $20, and there are no contracts to sign. She is grateful for opportunities to assist “low income people (especially youth) to have a chance.” It’s what she calls “social entrepreneurship.” “I like to feel like I’m contributing while making money.”

Suzanne also likes to spend her energies promoting things in the community that she feels don’t get the attention they need and deserve. She is so involved, in fact, that it’s hard to keep track of her efforts. Yet aside from having taught classes through the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission and having been part of the group which established the first Police Athletic League for Girls (PAL), Women of Color Day, for instance, is one of her claims to fame. Suzanne even contributes her own money to the event if a budget falls short.

But Women of Color Day is making a splash indeed. Now beginning its 21st year, it has been celebrated in 20 states and five other countries, and has honored almost 200 women in Sacramento alone, with hundreds more across the nation and world. Suzanne emphasizes that it’s “important to include other communities,” to embrace sisterhood and ‘community-hood’. Women of Color Day is for everyone, not just for women, not just for people of color. It adds a focus on minority/indigenous women during Women’s History Month.

Suzanne is a pioneer in not only the world of music, business and mentoring, but she is also an author, having published both poetry and short stories. She’s currently working on a new book about a contemporary theory of art. She says, “for art to be meaningful and valuable in our world today, it has to exemplify diversity and promote justice. Otherwise, it’s not doing its job.” And Suzanne recognizes that while there will likely be some controversy and discussion from this, she poignantly adds, “we might just need that in order to move ahead.”

Although quite connected to both our intimate community and the musician’s community at large, Suzanne always makes time for her music. She’s has several CD’s with cover tunes and an original single already out, but is currently working on some new music. Suddenly, she says “songs have been coming into my head at an incredible rate.” She just sent four songs in for copyright.

Dr. Love Radio, Netteradio and Smoothjazz (online) have been among those playing her music for some time now, and she’s still working on KSSJ. A Gospel singer as well, Suzanne makes plenty of appearances in person around town. “I sing at the drop of a hat. I’m very charitable but I have to pay the band, I have to pay the mortgage and I have to pay the staff.” Bridging this gap is just one of the things that keeps Suzanne and her career passionately thriving.

And Suzanne is appreciative; She feels “fortunate to still be singing,” considering she started at the bright and tender age of three. “No one ever sent me to vocal lessons or music school. “Back in the day,”… girls were expected to get married and not have careers.” But Suzanne now has degrees in both English and education, and has even reached the doctoral level.

“I think in life you have many challenges, and you have many choices.… Many times I have achieved what I was fighting for; sometimes, I have not. The only failures are when we give up or sell our integrity. You have to choose to be happy. No one ever knew I could write music, including me, I had melodies come into my mind, but didn’t write them down then. I do now. I cannot tell you the thrill of listening to something that was in your head…”

“And I’m singing better than I’ve ever sung. Audience response is so appreciative that sometimes it’s almost overwhelming. But it’s also fulfilling. It’s a happy state of mind. Artists of all kinds are vehicles, or passageways for things that are given to us and we are fortunate to have that experience… The experience of having these gifts flow through us is the most important thing. You need to be able to share it as well as enjoy the moment.”

Suzanne Brooks & The Jazz Generation
http://www.creativeconsys.com

RESPONSE TO OBAMA STAFF MEMBER

Hello Amy:

Until now, I had only the experience of gross discourtesy from your web staff who removed me from the Obama website without cause or notice.

You should go over this with someone in your organization. I am a long standing human and civil rights activist who is the CEO of the International Association for Women of Color Day. I have a national and international reputation as an educator and in many other positive areas. I am a former police officer and licensed private investigator. I have been honored by many organizations and institutions including LaSalle University who honored me in 2000 as their most outstanding alumna of the 1970's.I am in Who's Who of American Women, Who's Who Among Global Business Leaders, Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities and a recipient of a YWCA Racial Justice Award.

I have worked on behalf of Obama's candidacy for more than a year, beginning with my letter to him on behalf of hundreds of people across the country to ascertain his position on various issues, including his support for the unique experiences and concerns of women of color who are coping with the effects of both racism and sexism. In a detailed letter that responded specifically to our interests, Obama wrote me personally asserting his support and his willingness to work with us for justice for all. I shared that letter with people all across the country as I promoted his candidacy and combated the smear campaigns against him.

Because of the rude action of your web team in removing justice4allincludeswomenofcolor from the Obama site, I traveled for 15 hours to meet and discuss this with Obama's sister, Maya Soetory-Ng in Watsonville, California. Following the removal of the first page, I posted another, womenofcolorsisterhoodandsupporters, which was also removed without comment.

To suggest that either of these had objectionable and/or disrespectful content is itself a smear of us. Below is the purpose of justice4allincludeswomenofcolor which was posted there and is still active in yahoogroups.com. The disrespect you are showing me and women of color and men and women of all groups who work with us it very unfortunate. Obama has repeatedly assured us that he supports women of color and people at the grassroots. Yet, those of you controlling the website are forbidding us to discuss the real concerns we have, that we hoped to work on with Obama. We have spent time and donated money on his behalf. Yet we are being insulted simply because we do not agree to be invisible. This kind of thinking is what led to the exclusion of the 2 Muslim women from being seated behind Obama. It is also at the root of the continued alienation with some Latinas, including elected officials.

Sadly, you are rejecting those who have been Obama's strongest supporters and by your disrespect are making it very appear that only those women of color who are willing to be marginalized will have a place in Obama's administration. I believe this is not consistent with Obama's stated goals. Nathaniel on your staff referred me to another women of color group on the site. He who wrote that they were a similar group. They are not. Despite their name, they are an African American group only. I too am African American. I have no objection to the work they are doing. However, when I refer to women of color, I mean all of the women of the world who have been and are still subjected to both racism and sexism. If we cannot even talk about it, then there is no hope for improvement.

Women of color in the US have the highest suicide rates, the lowest salaries and employment rate, die most of curable diseases, suffer the most employment and education discrimination and are retaliated against simply for raising the issues that concern us--just as you folks are doing. You are destroying so much good will that we have worked to establish. Why? What is the motive for the animosity and disrespect you are displaying toward us?

Women of color do not intend to be taken for granted. We have voted for Obama in overwhelmingly large numbers. We are the majority of voters in most communities of color. It is as if you are willfully sabotaging Obama from within by working to kick out those most devoted to him. Efforts to have the campaign staff address these issues, whether by phone or email have failed. Clearly you do not want us on the Obama team, despite the fact that we are a cross-section of people from high academic backgrounds to farm workers. We are active in many organizations, community groups, cultural associations, women of color groups and professions. The more you reject women of color, the more they will stop supporting Obama with their time, money and votes. Already, there are many who have begun to examine the candidacy of Cynthia McKinney who is not afraid to include women of color issues in her comments and plans. If there is to be no change for us in Obama's campaign and administration in terms of opportunities, respect and inclusion, what reason will there be for us to vote for him.

I hope someone in your office has the insight to recognize that what has been done to me and all the others working with me is a serious error. It can be remedied if you work on it. I believe Obama is not aware of what you are doing. His sister [Maya] assured me that his support for women of color is strong and committed. These actions on the website are creating great doubts among women of color and the grassroots. Hopefully, someone will take notice and act before all is lost.

Sincerely,

Suzanne Brooks

• www.womenofcolorday.com
• www.creativeconsys.com
• www.fyicomminc.com  video dedicated to Obama
• www.gigmasters.com/swing/TheJazzGeneration/
• www.cdbaby.com
• www.creativeconsys.com/entertainment.html
• www.youtube.com  song dedicated to Obama
• www.midtowngrid.com/directory/view/entry/88
• www.lasalle.edu
• www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php?id=3027
• www.authorhouse.com
• www.ercregistry.com

Group description: justice4allincludeswomenofcolro@yahoogroups.com

This is a place to help shape a national justice-for-all agenda that fully includes women of color who have been unrepresented or underrepresented in every aspect of the institutions which impact our lives--government, business, religious groups and community organizations. This is not a site to criticize any individual or organization. Things do not get better by looking back but by moving forward.

Please contribute specific suggestions for programs, actions, and services which are implementable or supportable by our government beginning in 2009. Please share the reason for your suggestion with any available statistics to back it up.

Please identify programs, activities and services already operating successfully, which can serve as models. Please identify dedicated, hardworking, competent women of color who merit presidential appointments, including a note about their work, where it is, what is has achieved and if it needs anything to be even more successful.

It will be helpful to learn of those individuals who are not women of color (men or women) but who have worked long and hard on our behalf.

Please identify important research, studies, literature, all forms of art, as well as histories of exceptional individuals and organizations which merit recognition and preservation.

Please suggest new strategies for funding and fundraising to make what we have go farther and can add to the resources available.

Please recommend readings and activities that can help heal divisions among men, women and youth of the nation, especially in areas of cultural conflicts and misunderstandings. We all can win; no one needs to lose.

Please suggest strategies to end all forms of discrimination in the country, including in education, employment, housing, health care, recreation, retirement, incarceration, leadership and representation. Promote women of color in Congress, Supreme Court, President's Cabinet, federal agencies and law/civil rights enforcement.

In a message dated 6/26/2008 10:18:29 PM Pacific Daylight Time, mybarackobama@barackobama.com writes:

Hi Suzanne,

Thanks for clarifying your first email. We only remove blog posts from the site that contain objectionable or disrespectful content. Please encourage your group members to continue posting about issues relevant to your group.

Best,
Amy