Satcher and mentor inspire during Hobson City Founders' Day banquet

Aug. 21—Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher was the keynote speaker Thursday night for the Mayor's Heritage banquet, the centerpiece event of Hobson City's 123rd Founders' Day Celebration.

However, as much as Satcher's remarks inspired the crowd filling the Anniston Meeting Center, it was the words of the woman whom the world-renowned physician and civil rights activist called "my mentor" that turned into the moment of the evening.

Juanita Jairrells, now 99 years of age, was a teacher at the former Calhoun County Training School (later C. E. Hanna) when Satcher was a student there.

The two embraced warmly after Jairrells spryly came to the front and took possession of the microphone.

"It's by God's grace I am here," Jairrells said. "I taught some wonderful, smart young people and I instilled in them they should be all that they could be."

Jairrells said she had met with some of her other former students the previous night and wondered, "What were they instilling in their grandchildren?"

"They had wonderful stories to tell," she said.

"I told them they need to, number one, read to your children," Jairrells said. "We don't carry our children to the library enough. We have smart young people, but you must start in the cradle. I want every grandparent to remember that because you are retired and you can carry these children to the library."

She also encouraged the idea of investing.

"You have to invest if you want to be a millionaire. I know what I'm talking about. I'm talking about Dr. Satcher," Jairrells said with a grin which was returned in kind by her subject.

Satcher's address focused on the idea of perseverance, and he recalled his days in school under Jairrells' tutelage.

"I remember going to Morehouse College after graduating Calhoun County," Satcher, 81, recalled. "Even some of the faculty members were questioning, 'Where's Hobson City?'"

"Mrs. Jairrells made sure I had to study," he said. "If she didn't think I was studying enough, she would give me an extra assignment. When I got to Morehouse and they started giving me assignments, I said, 'This is nothing.'"

The evening also honored three young entrepreneurs with the Cleve Holloway Award.

Mayor Alberta McCrory said the city was blessed to have so many young people coming home to "buy property here in Hobson City and improving it to start businesses."

The honorees were Michelle Malone, Raynard McGrue and Eric Ervin.

The Alabama Conference of Black Mayors took the occasion to honor the late former Hobson City Mayor Rev. Judge L. Stringer II, whose family accepted the honor in his behalf.

Jennifer Maddox, executive director of the Community Foundation of Northeast Alabama, spoke of the efforts now underway to raise money for the renovation and upkeep of the former C. E. Hanna school building.

Alabama Power Eastern Division Vice President Terry Smiley said his company was "already doing their homework" in order to become the lead sponsor for the town's 125th celebration in 2024.

"People from Hobson City do great things," Satcher said. "We have to keep believing and working together to get that rock back up the hill and we can. We can do great things together. We've proven that. We have to keep it going."