| LANSING AREA AFRICAN AMERICAN GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY New!! LAAAGS Online Newsletter |
| Welcome to the Home Page of the Lansing Area African American Genealogical Society. LAAAGS was founded in 2001 and is located in Lansing, Michigan. The purpose of LAAAGS is to promote the preservation of African American family history for Lansing area residents and other interested persons. |
| Questions or comments about this site contact: entpeople@yahoo.com. |
| This page was last updated July-August 2020 |
| The next meeting for LAAAGS will be Saturday, August 15, 2020, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. This meeting will be held using Zoom. Individuals will receive instructions for attending the Zoom meeting by email. This meeting will include our usual business meeting and a presentation by member, Helen Pratt Mickens on "The 3rd and 4th grandparents of Helen Pratt Mickens". |
| *ANNOUNCEMENT* The dues for LAAAGS are $25 dollars annually. Annual dues for 2020 are now due. Form for Dues Submission |
The Passing of LAAAGS Member Dr. Eva L. Evans |
| *ANNOUNCEMENT* *ANNOUNCEMENT* Due to the order of limited gatherings surrounding the COVID-19 precautions, LAAAGS Meetings will be held by ZOOM until further notice. We will keep everyone updated as to further changes in our schedule. |
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Member Dr. Eva L. Evans passed on July 21, 2020 in Dayton, Ohio. Dr. Eva Evans was a long standing and very active member of LAAAGS and
supported our programs and special events including participating in the 2020 Winter Genealogy Conference, held February 22, 2020, at Union
Missionary Baptist Church, Lansing, MI.
As a national leader in education and an accomplished humanitarian, Dr. Evans dedicated her career to developing best practices for providing
opportunities to under-served populations. She was born in Memphis, TN and grew up in Detroit, MI earning her BS degree from Wayne State University
and her M.A. and Ph.D. from Michigan State University. She was initiated into Xi Chapter (housed at Wayne State University at the time) in 1954 while an
undergraduate.
In Lansing and throughout Michigan, Dr. Evans broke barriers and accomplished many firsts, including service as the first female deputy superintendent
of Lansing Schools, campaign chairman and chairman of the Tri-County United Way, vice chairman of the Lansing Board of Water and Light, chairman of
the Lansing Community College Foundation, trustee of the Michigan State University Board of the College of Education, and member of Sparrow Hospital
Women’s Board of Managers. She was appointed by the MI governor to serve on the Michigan Council for the Humanities and was Chairman of the
Michigan Department of Civil Rights.
Dr. Evans’ dedication, efforts and talent has also been experienced throughout the world. She served Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. in a variety of
influential, key roles. As the 24th Supreme Basileus from 1994–98, she established the theme "Building the Future: The Alpha Kappa Alpha Strategy:
Making the Net Work." In implementing this vision, she networked with major entities in the United States including Elizabeth Dole of the American Red
Cross and the Pillsbury Corporation for a Partnership In Mathematics and Science, which became her administration’s signature program. The
partnership with the American Red Cross focused on HIV/AIDS education and increasing the number of African Americans on the bone marrow registry.
At the 1996 Boulé, the Sorority made a $50,000 contribution to the NAACP, a $75,000 contribution to UNCF, and in 1998, the Sorority made additional
contributions to the NAACP and UNCF of $50,000 and $25,000 respectively. Dr. Evans was interviewed by The History Makers, the Nation’s Largest
African American Video Oral History Collection, as part of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Centennial Boulé celebration in 2008.
Regionally and locally, Dr. Evans served as the 16th Great Lakes Regional Director, Basileus of Delta Tau Omega Chapter, and Graduate Advisor for
Delta Zeta Chapter, to name a few.
Among her many honors, Dr. Evans received the YWCA’s Diana Award for Excellence in Education, the Lansing Chamber of Commerce ATHENA
Leadership Award, the NAACP’s Educator of the Year, the Crystal Apple Award for Education from Michigan State University and the Applause Award
from the Lansing Center for the Arts. In 2012, the Capital Area United Way awarded her with its highest honor, the Walter A. Campbell Award, for her
many years of active, valuable service. She also has served as the Grand Marshall of the African American Parade and Family Picnic in Lansing which
began in 1999. She was inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame in 2005. And in April 2018, the Lansing School District renamed its Welcome
Center, the Dr. Eva L. Evans Welcome Center. The Welcome Center allows families enrolling in the Lansing School District a central location to be
welcomed to the community, to learn about the Lansing Pathway Promise, the Lansing Promise/HOPE scholarships and enroll in one of the district’s
schools.
Our member, Dr. Eva L. Evans will be missed and remembered by our entire membership and friends. Rest in Peace, Eva!
supported our programs and special events including participating in the 2020 Winter Genealogy Conference, held February 22, 2020, at Union
Missionary Baptist Church, Lansing, MI.
As a national leader in education and an accomplished humanitarian, Dr. Evans dedicated her career to developing best practices for providing
opportunities to under-served populations. She was born in Memphis, TN and grew up in Detroit, MI earning her BS degree from Wayne State University
and her M.A. and Ph.D. from Michigan State University. She was initiated into Xi Chapter (housed at Wayne State University at the time) in 1954 while an
undergraduate.
In Lansing and throughout Michigan, Dr. Evans broke barriers and accomplished many firsts, including service as the first female deputy superintendent
of Lansing Schools, campaign chairman and chairman of the Tri-County United Way, vice chairman of the Lansing Board of Water and Light, chairman of
the Lansing Community College Foundation, trustee of the Michigan State University Board of the College of Education, and member of Sparrow Hospital
Women’s Board of Managers. She was appointed by the MI governor to serve on the Michigan Council for the Humanities and was Chairman of the
Michigan Department of Civil Rights.
Dr. Evans’ dedication, efforts and talent has also been experienced throughout the world. She served Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. in a variety of
influential, key roles. As the 24th Supreme Basileus from 1994–98, she established the theme "Building the Future: The Alpha Kappa Alpha Strategy:
Making the Net Work." In implementing this vision, she networked with major entities in the United States including Elizabeth Dole of the American Red
Cross and the Pillsbury Corporation for a Partnership In Mathematics and Science, which became her administration’s signature program. The
partnership with the American Red Cross focused on HIV/AIDS education and increasing the number of African Americans on the bone marrow registry.
At the 1996 Boulé, the Sorority made a $50,000 contribution to the NAACP, a $75,000 contribution to UNCF, and in 1998, the Sorority made additional
contributions to the NAACP and UNCF of $50,000 and $25,000 respectively. Dr. Evans was interviewed by The History Makers, the Nation’s Largest
African American Video Oral History Collection, as part of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Centennial Boulé celebration in 2008.
Regionally and locally, Dr. Evans served as the 16th Great Lakes Regional Director, Basileus of Delta Tau Omega Chapter, and Graduate Advisor for
Delta Zeta Chapter, to name a few.
Among her many honors, Dr. Evans received the YWCA’s Diana Award for Excellence in Education, the Lansing Chamber of Commerce ATHENA
Leadership Award, the NAACP’s Educator of the Year, the Crystal Apple Award for Education from Michigan State University and the Applause Award
from the Lansing Center for the Arts. In 2012, the Capital Area United Way awarded her with its highest honor, the Walter A. Campbell Award, for her
many years of active, valuable service. She also has served as the Grand Marshall of the African American Parade and Family Picnic in Lansing which
began in 1999. She was inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame in 2005. And in April 2018, the Lansing School District renamed its Welcome
Center, the Dr. Eva L. Evans Welcome Center. The Welcome Center allows families enrolling in the Lansing School District a central location to be
welcomed to the community, to learn about the Lansing Pathway Promise, the Lansing Promise/HOPE scholarships and enroll in one of the district’s
schools.
Our member, Dr. Eva L. Evans will be missed and remembered by our entire membership and friends. Rest in Peace, Eva!