Westside Story Newspaper – Online The News of The Empire – Sharing the Quest for Excellence
By Marla A. Matime
On Sunday, October 8, 2017, Alvin T. Clavon, better known as A.T. Classic, hosted an African themed Tea Party, infused with African attire, exotic teas, and music, to promote his fourth published book, “Message from the Hood: The Fatherhood of God, The Brotherhood of Man.” The event was held at the Mt. Rubidoux SDA Church to help raise funds for Clavon’s medical expenses, as he has been diagnosed with multiple myeloma along with neuropathy, just last year.
“Multiple myeloma is a cancer formed by malignant plasma cells. Normal plasma cells are found in the bone marrow and are an important part of the immune system. Multiple myeloma is a relatively uncommon cancer. In the United States, the lifetime risk of getting multiple myeloma is 1 in 143 (0.7%). The American Cancer Society’s estimates for multiple myeloma in the United States for 2017 are: About 30,280 new cases will be diagnosed (17,490 in men and 12,790 in women). Multiple myeloma is more than twice as common in African Americans than in white Americans. Men are slightly more likely to develop multiple myeloma than women. The risk of multiple myeloma goes up as people age. Less than 1% of cases are diagnosed in people younger than 35. Most people diagnosed with this cancer are at least 65 years old.”
I had the opportunity to not only interview Clavon, but I had the pleasure of spending the entire afternoon, with him and his wife Joyce Clavon, of 33 years, and hear all the wonderful stories of how they met and their journey together. They took me down memory lane with pictures of his ancestral family members, poems that he has written in other publications, as well as poems that he has dedicated exclusively to his beautiful, beloved wife. They met in 1980 at a park in downtown Detroit, as Sister Clavon recalled, she felt these “Eyes,” watching her. So, she sent her young daughter, at the time, over to summon him to come talk to her. There was another gentleman, who was heading her direction on his bike, but had fallen off upon his approach, and tipped his hat to Clavon and said, “You the better man.”
Clavon began writing Message from the Hood shortly after his diagnosis of multiple myeloma to push himself to release what the Holy Spirit had given to him to share with the world. His writings are filled with poetic and rhythmic expressions from current situations that have taken place in our society as well as the situations that happened as he was growing from a young boy into manhood. He also beautifully weaves bible scripture and references from Ellen G. White, to back his statements up with the love of Christ, the truth about judgment and favor, as well as how we are to love one another.
Clavon refers to his mother, Mary Love Clavon, often throughout our conversation, and so I had to know more about this powerhouse of a woman. His mother was a psychiatric technician and was close friends with Rosa Parks. When he first saw her in person, he happened to be getting on the bus to go to downtown Detroit, and at the time didn’t know exactly who she was, or that she was his mother’s friend. Clavon’s mother worked in the clinic and was the liaison between the psychiatrists and the patients, hence, how she came to know Ms. Parks, as her husband suffered from PTSD and other mental anguishes due to the conditions that they were living in, prior to moving to Detroit. His mother was a community activist in the same way as Ms. Parks was; however, was an advocate for equal health care for Black Americans, here in the United States. His mother was the very first person to receive an HMO health insurance card in the nation as her medical record number was number 1.
Clavon was raised by a politician and aside from his connections with monumental civil rights leaders, such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jesse Jackson, and of course his mother’s friendship with Rosa Parks, Clavon is a very close friend of Rock and Roll Legend Little Richard and had been instrumental in helping Richard share the gospel of Christ through his book, when he came to know God’s love for him.
Clavon, emphasizes the fact that our African heritage has been lost in our society and he hopes that in his writings, he can shed light on truth and facts regarding where we come from and where we are going as a people. Despite his diagnosis, Clavon believes that the phrase Love Heals, which he references often in the book, has become a true affirmation and action in his life as he is surrounded by not only the powerful, matchless love of God and his wife but that of his children and grandchildren.
Ultimately, the central focus contained within Message from the Hood, is the point that D-evil One has sought to trick the world with a lose/lose proposition. Clavon stated that “One group that he has seduced into believe their “white” skin makes than superior and that all other people of color are inferior to them, and are here to be their servants or slaves. With the so called superior race oppressing and hating people of melanin. D-evil One expects those hated to hate their oppressors, thus sending both groups to hell.” Unbeknownst to many of those within the African American and other indigenous groups, we have defeated the evil one by not returning hate for hate and that we have the freedom of expressing the love that God has bestowed upon us as His children. Clavon hopes to spread this awareness to those of African and Indigenous descents across the globe so that we may be able to act like the Remnant Kin of the creator of the Universe.
It was very inspiring to sit and speak with Mr. and Mrs. Clavon. His secret to life is to find young friends as you grow older.
If you would like to donate to A.T. Classic’s go fund me page, to help with the medical treatment, please visit www.gofundme.com/AlvinClavon. For more information regarding Message from the Hood, events, and other books and publications from A. T. Classic, please visit www.atclassic.com.
