THE TIGER AND THE TORCH ebook

“My theory about success in life, first believe and trust in the good Lord,
second one must possess a certain amount of innate ability, third he must
like doing what he is doing, fourth one must believe in himself and last
but not least he must be willing to work hard and practice every day.” 63
Zimri and Zedekiah both made those choices and thus, their children along with
some of their nieces and nephews found their passions and made their life-work
in education and music. Zedekiah had a love and talent for both baseball and
music. Because of his dad’s advice and the fact that Blacks were not yet allowed
to play for major league teams, he chose to fully pursue music from that point
forward. Regardless of what he was doing during college, in the US Army, as a
secondary school teacher or a college professor, he was all about music.
ROAR! “MUSIC IS THE MOVEMENT OF SOUND TO REACH THE SOUL FOR THE
EDUCATION OF ITS VIRTUE.” 64 PLATO 65
In 1951 he had the opportunity to leave CII and teach in another part of Virginia.
In doing so, he said the following about his exodus: “It was difficult to leave
Christiansburg Institute because the students, faculty, and the people in
the community were wonderful to me. Sometimes in order to make
progress, it is important to make a change.” His next gig was at James
Solomon Russell High School in Lawrenceville, VA. From there he moved to
Tennessee and taught at Knoxville College which is one of the nation’s
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). He spent many years there
and in the HBCU arena fulfilling his musical dreams and teaching students how
to master their musical talents. He retired and returned home to Christiansburg,
VA, where his life and love of music began. Perhaps, his story may have gone
differently had there been an HBCU in his hometown.
IVORY TOWERS FOR BLACKS: HBCUS
Schools like Knoxville College were the only “ivory towers” for people of color
during segregation. According to the US Department of Education, “HBCUs
are a source of accomplishment and great pride for the African
American community as well as the entire nation.” 66 Two articles in
Richmond Magazine highlight the history and relevance of these institutions
today, especially the ones in Virginia. The first selection, The Fierce Five: Virginia
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