大侠行天下日记 我见我闻我思 0518

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艾德勃博士永远安息

大约十年前的夏天， 一对非裔夫妇走进了我的办公室， 非常谦和地告诉我，他们想出版一份社区报， 以报导非裔教会及社区新闻為主， 并且把一份十六页对开已経排版的报纸给我看， 当时我对这份图文并茂之社区报印象十分深刻， 在言谈中 ，我才知道他们也是来自非洲奈及利亚之第一代移民， 艾德勃博士是从艾利芙学区担任小学校长后退休， 并且曾在英国留学， 其夫婿早年也在奈及利亚电视台工作多年。

当我接下了他们的创刊版面后， 我立即召集暗房收版及有关同仁请他们立即安排收电子版及印刷时间 ，経过短暂的交谈 ，我把他们送到电梯， 并保証我们会竭尽全力為他们做好一条龙服务， 包括收版、 印刷、 送报发行， 他们看着我微笑点头。

第二天清晨上午七时， 我依例走进了报纸印刷车间， 正逢他们的彩色社区报从输送带上印刷出来， 我立即捡起一份油墨未乾的彩色社区报给他们去了个电话， 不久这对夫妇就赶到印刷中心， 就像一个新生婴儿之诞生， 我们的脸上都呈现了喜悦和兴奋的笑容， 从此这份报纸加入了美南新闻传媒集团之大家庭， 不久后他们就连报社办公窒也搬进了美南国际贸易中心大楼。他们夫妇同时协助我们举办了许多文化贸易商业活动， 尤其是和非洲大陆之交流， 几内亚大使杨森多次在国际贸易中心举办招商说明会，德州和非洲之间之座谈会多半由她们夫妇主持。

当疫情来袭时， 休斯敦社区遭到无情之打击， 国际移民社区更是求助无门 ，艾德勃博士建议国际贸易中心应该加强对社区扩大服务 ，当天下午我立即召集同仁成立工作委员会， 加强对社区小商业申请政府补助、 法律諮询 、税务减免等服务 ，并於当週末下午召开记者会， 并请格林国会议员及数十位社区领袖参加。

疫情期间 艾德勃博士因聚劳成疾 不幸病倒， 週前接到其夫电话， 开始泣不成声， 告知她已归天， 我顿时悲哀充满胸膛 ，闻之无以言表。

上週六 我参加了非裔教会為她举办之追思会， 数百位友人参加 ，我在会上除了表达哀悼之意 ，并表达我们失去了一位益师良友， 她的离去是国际社区之损失， 在新闻媒体之事业上 ，我们曾经是战友和同志 ，我们将永远怀念妳 ，请妳一路好走……

Dr. Martina Edebor Our Colleague, Friend And Leader

In the summer of late 2010 an African American couple walked into my office and told me very modestly that they wanted to publish a community newspaper that would mainly report on African American community churches and community news. They showed me a 16-pages tabloid layout. I was very impressed with their graphics and layout and immediately called my staff in to discuss about how we could work on this new job. In our conversation, I found out that Dr. Edebor and her husband had both come from Nigeria and that we were all first-generation immigrants. She was educated in England and here in the U.S. and retired from her position as a school principal in the Alief School District.

After the meeting I assured them we would try our best to print their newspaper, and not just print their newspaper, but also we would include distribution with ONE STOP service! They were all smiles and I walked them to the door and said goodbye.

Next day as usual, I arrived at my office at 7:00 am. When I walked into our pressroom, the all-color newspaper with fresh ink had just come out of the press form. I immediately picked up a copy and called the Edebors and told them their newspaper was ready. In less than one-half hour they both arrived and held the newspaper like a newborn baby. We all were smiling with great joy.

From then on, their newspaper joined the big family of Southern News Group. Soon after, they even moved their office into the International Trade Center which is the next building over from the Southern News building.

Over the last several years, Dr. Edebor assisted at the ITC where she and her husband hosted many cultural, trade and business seminars. When the pandemic hit our community, she suggested that we needed to do more for our community. We decided to add more services including legal services and SBA loan application services. We held a news conference to introduce the new services and many community leaders as well as Congressman Al Green were among our guests.

During the pandemic, unfortunately, Dr. Edebor fell ill due to fatigue. A few weeks later I received a call from Mr. Edebor and he told me that she had returned to Heaven. I suddenly felt sad and full of personal grief.

Last weekend I attended the memorial service and celebration of her life in a local church. Hundreds of friends came to say their final goodbyes. I told all the friends that her departure is a great loss to the international community. We are comrades in the media business and we all will miss her very much.

Dr. Edebor, you really had a full life.