My recollection of Sister Betty at one of her last public speaking engagements is that she passionately left us with the charge of loving the next generation; of teaching and guiding and uplifting our youth.

It was Malcolm's birthday Celebration held annually by a local Newark grass roots organization. Each year Sister Betty would bless us with her presence before leaving to address the church in Harlem where Malcolm's funeral was held.

At the time I was working as a press secretary for the Black mayor of a neighboring town, Mayor Mims Hackett of Orange. Orange Councilman Allen Barnhardt who belongs to the organization invited us to the celebration and we took Sister Betty an Official Proclamation in her honor.

Well, this magnificint woman; this woman of international acclaim and accomplishment was so very humbly touched. She was moved to tears. Recovering; she made the remark that she was proud of the Black elected officials in New Jersey who brought her honor. "In New York", she said, "the Mayor is more likely to have me arrested."

Sister Betty had so much love for us as a people. In her message to us that evening; she admonished us for turning our back on our young people. She clearly left us with a charge that night: To love them, anyhow. It was so clear to me. I think about her words each time I pray for young Malcolm.

My prayer is that we pick up the charge from Sister Betty; that we continue to love them, any way that we can.