Recently, a good friend of mine celebrated his 77th birthday. Pastor Dr. Benjamin “Twin B.“ Brown celebrated another year just after the loss of his beloved mother in August. I have observed this man for many years and have just recently, this year, come to know him as an associate and a friend. His track record of community involvement speaks for itself. For 65 years he has served the Wilmington community. 55 of those years were in broadcasting, 45 years were preaching the gospel and 35 years of teaching our youth the principles of video production in his video production workshops. Over the course of his career he offered assistance to many people and families in this area, receiving over 51 awards for his meritorious service. For 41 years he has offered special services for shut-ins, seniors and the needy. He has received 3 honorary Doctor of Degrees after 45 years as an ordained gospel minister. Pastor Brown was the originator of leased access TV programming now on Comcast Cable Channel 28. His hallmark shows have been the Sunday morning Spiritual Revival Hour (8 AM to 11 AM every Sunday) and Reaching for the Stars Talent Showcase.
Pastor Brown is an extraordinary man. He has had challenges with the cable companies, government bureaucrats, school officials and government agencies for most of his career. His desire and dedication to the youth of our community is unparalleled. His major challenge over the past few years has been to get the City of Wilmington to get Comcast and the school districts to follow through with their contract and commitment to actualize PEG. PEG stands for Public, Education and Government access for the community. So far, Channel 22 in Wilmington broadcasts government related programs to the city. Most of the local school districts have the capability at some schools to broadcast educational programming. Recently, the City of Wilmington has agreed to broadcast educational programming on Channel 22 (however, Comcast has to provide a separate channel for this purpose).
When I was in high school, Rollins cable allowed our video facility at Newark High School to broadcast entertainment and educational programs to the cable franchise territory. Since then, the interest and commitment level hasn’t been fully utilized. Also, public access hasn’t been fulfilled by Comcast. Public access is free programming on a separate channel than leased access (pay to play). Currently, only 2 channels have been utilized and Comcast’s contract is supposed to have 4 channels. Through the efforts of Pastor Brown and LAPA (Leased Access Producers Association), many of these issues and requirements for Comcast have been addressed over the years. However, they have fallen on deaf ears. The school districts, the public and government officials as well as Comcast have done as little as possible to offer quality educational programs to the community.
In an age of information overload, many of our young don’t have the opportunity to experience true peace and community involvement. They are distracted by video games, mindless television and non-participatory parenting. Pastor Brown has offered his free workshops to teach these children the skills of video production and the skills of life mastery. Many of his students have gone on to careers in film, television and radio. His instructional legacy has had a positive impact on many young lives. What can we do to help? Visit Pastor Brown’s website for the Community Communications Corporation (a non-profit organization). View the history and programming he has to offer the community. Join him in his challenge to train our young with the values of education and community involvement. Donate your time, your talents, or your money. Invest in our youth and help a true hero. Pastor Brown is a role model for persistence and determination, which alone are omnipotent!
For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." ©2009 Dean A. Banks. All Rights Reserved. Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.
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