AYA Educational Institute

What kind of romantic love do you create when you’ve been shaped by community love? What turns you on about a man or woman, when the community has turned out for you? Is attraction simply a matter of individual biology and natural instinct, or does the community’s touch help you interpret the intimate touch? AYA’s 2017 - Community Love Honorees - Gerry and Celeste White may be best qualified to answer this age-old nature/nurture paradox. Gerry is an Assistant Professor at the Clark Atlanta University (CAU) Whitney M. Young School of Social Work and Owner of PES Consulting. Celeste is an author and Instructor in Sociology and Criminal Justice @ CAU. They've been married for 24 years. Gerry: "When I was in Jr. High school there was a major race riot. Some white boys tried to jump me. My brothers weren’t having it. My neighborhood wasn’t havin’ it. The next thing I know, there are police dogs and everything. I was in the Malcolm X movement, and just after high schoo...

What does is mean to have a love that heals and a love of healing? What is it to love healing our people in a society which profits from making us sick? What does it take to transform that love from a dream to a "dream come true" for decades? You’ll have to ask our Healing Love Honorees for 2017 - Quinne Cook-Richardson and William E. Richardson, MD. Their love is like their diet and their lifestyle – organic. It is derived from the living spirit that each brings to the marriage of 26 years. Like all living things, their love has grown. Like organic fruits and vegetables, they came to the marriage table with perfect imperfections. “William's imperfections caused me to find my own joy." Explaining more Quinnie said, “My husband isn't perfect. He is human. At first, I expected him to make me happy, then I learned through our trials and tribulations that no one can make you happy. I was used to basing my happiness on outside experiences. My husband helped me...