HARLEM COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
WOMEN HISTORY MONTH
Women History Month Salute: Dr. Marcella Maxwell – Living Life Like It’s GOLDEN By Hazel Rosetta Smith
W
hen I think of someone who epitomizes what being a seasoned citizen should look like, the first name that pops up is Dr. Marcella Maxwell. Age is a chronological number of a life journey, but it cannot
An actively productive life has led to such a time as this when she is sharing her insight, knowledge and experience to light the way for seniors to grow gracefully in mind, body and spirit. Through educational seminars, workshops and conferences that provide indepth information from speciaists in numerous fields, Dr. Maxwell opens the door for seniors to garner what they need to know from those in the know. She has a plan and a purpose that is the basis of all she offers – Knowledge is Power! Leadership is the position she manages exceptionally well, however, her
Seniors for Hearing Forum
Dr. Marcella Maxwell surrounded by students
a founding dean and clinical supervisor of teaching fellows at Medgar Evers College, part of the City University of New York. In this role, she trained and mentored teaching fellows to foster their profession-
CB10 Senior Task Force Members
Golden Life Partnership Forum Panelists
Partners Join Hearing Matters in Aging
ability to engage other like minded individuals and organizations is essentially why every thing baring her name has been successful with faithful followers clammering for more.
Ministry. Pre-COVID-19, numerous seminars were convened at the church. Long before Marcella Maxwell was distinguished as a senior advocate and geriatric educator, she was
instructional strategies and methods. Additionally, Dr. Maxwell served as Commissioner of Human Rights and Chair of the Commission on the Status of Women under New York City Mayors
al development. organized collaboration among principals, teachers and other faculty, spearheaded team-building seminars, curriculum design and development, and initiated
Koch and Dinkins. Volunteerism has always been a commitment, as a platinum (50-year) member of the Greater New York Chapter of The Links, Inc., lifetime member of the NAACP and as an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority’s North Manhattan Alumnae chapter and its National Social Action Commission. She successfully completed the extensive Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management Program at Harvard Business School. She is also the NGO representative for
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. at the United Nations. Dr. Maxwell received a master’s degree in elementary education from Long Island University and her doctorate in education from Fordham University. The new normal of virtual presentation has come upon us but has not stifled Dr. Maxwell’s determination to keep seniors informed. She has zoomed into the Webinar arena with three successful sessions, Getting Here to There During COVID (Revisit Access-A-Ride); How to Age Successfully during COVID-19, and Emerging Perspectives on the COVID Pandemic (Vaccines). It has been a personal pleasure for me to cover the works of Dr. Maxwell for Harlem Community News. I have no doubt there is more information gathering taking place right now and partnerships in place for scheduling. The aim is clear and calculated to keep seniors aware and able to maneuver through the changes that have already become our new normal. God bless you mightily, Marcella Maxwell for your caring and sharing. You are appreciated, loved, and deservedly honored in this March 2021 Women’s Month. [Hazel Rosetta Smith is a journalist, playwright, and artistic director of HRS Speaks; retired former Managing Editor and Woman’s Editor of the New York Beacon News and current columnist for Harlem Community News, Inc. Contact: misshazel@twc.com]
Harlem Community Newspapers | March 11. 2021
Dr. Maxwell with members of the Links
deter the ongoing work of a distinguished elder in her nineties, who has set her heart and mind to encourage seniors to live life like it is golden, healthy and spiritually wealthy.
Community partnerships thus far have included AARP, Access-A-Ride, Dept. of Transportation, Esplanade Gardens, Dept. of Aging, Lighthouse Guild, New York Connects, Medicare & Health Plans, CaringKind Alzheimer, Center for Hearing & Communication, Mt. Sinai Medical Center doctors and health practitioners, NY Presbyterian Hospital Pharmacists and the Abyssinian Baptist Church Health Ministry among numerous others. It is at the Abyssinian Baptist Church, pastored by the Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III, that Dr. Maxwell heads the Golden Life Senior
3
