Once upon a time, a child who was born in 1929 began performing recitals in his small backyard. There was no audience and no orchestra, but this little boy had a good voice and a grand plan. His parents had musical tastes that were more typical of that time and place, but they recognized talent when they heard it. So, they indulged his performances, and little CJ sang - because this was the only way. He didn’t know much about the world beyond Franklin, Louisiana, but if he was going to become an opera star, a white person would have to discover him. The rich and powerful ones lived on nearby Main Street, so he sang loudly and with all of his heart. Time passed and CJ gradually understood that knowledge – not the opera - would be his passport to the world, so he studied hard and soaked up as much wisdom as he could. Meanwhile, a woman who’d observed him closely for years began formulating a quiet plan. A domestic worker, whose formal education had ended at the third grade, her life had been infinitely more difficult than CJ’s. Her work was back breaking, the conditions were humiliating, and the rewards were few. Her husband was unfaithful, her dad died when she was an infant, and her mom passed away suddenly when she was pregnant with her first born. Her journey hadn’t been easy, but even in the midst of Jim Crow, her faith remained intact.

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And, so, this gentle woman began doing laundry for white families, in addition to her already exhausting and burdensome job. Nothing could stop her from ensuring that her gifted son, Clarence John, would become the family’s first college graduate. Her name was Dorothy Mae, and the year was 1947. Dorothy Mae Dennis was born in Glencoe, Louisiana to John and Martha Dennis on March 16, 1911. The family had so little, that they were forced into the painful decision of educating one daughter, and sending the other to an orphanage. Dorothy was the one who was sent away. Although her formal schooling ended prematurely, she read her bible and, independently, achieved an extraordinary level of functional literacy. In fact, during World War II, Dorothy was the scribe who read and wrote letters between an illiterate white family and their soldier son. Her education was not formal, but she became smart and well read. The “Facing Franklin: Clarence John and Dorothy Mae Guienze Scholarship Fund” at Southern University was established to honor the lives and spirits of Clarence John and his mother Dorothy Mae. They were a testament to having dreams beyond the walls that surround you, to forming partnerships that make us all stronger, and to the generous giving that opens doors to a better world.

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Clarence and Dorothy achieved their goal when he graduated from Southern University as class president in 1951. Shortly afterwards, he moved to the Pacific Northwest, where he became a painter with many memorable highlights. There were exhibits throughout Seattle-Tacoma, a oneman show at the Otto Seligman Gallery, and he was a twice featured artist at the Seattle Museum of Art in the Northwest Annual. He served in the U.S. Army as a social worker during the Korean Conflict. Once married with children, he surrendered his artistry for the stability of a career with the Department of Justice. Even as a warden with the federal government, and as commissioner with the State of Maryland, he left his creative imprint on all that he touched, with innovative reform and life enhancement programs. In the latter half of his life, Clarence returned to art, and photography became his favored creative expression. His exhibitions were covered by the New York Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and other regional outlets. His gifted singing and love for the opera took him from chorale societies, to church choirs and touring recitals. Renaissance man extraordinaire, Clarence designed a life that was as unique as a fingerprint.

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Remarkably, his childhood dream of performing on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera in New York was also realized. This is that story as his family remembers it: When I moved to New York in the 1960s, I got the chance to be a member of the chorus in a production of Aida at the Metropolitan Opera. I was a slave boy, along with many other slaves on the stage, but I decided that this was my moment! I had arrived! Well, they had to push me back so that I was aligned with the slaves and not the stars!!! Shirley Verrett sang in that performance, and she locked eyes with me from across the stage. It was fleeting, but the two of us shared a moment!

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In his final months, dementia overtook Clarence’s ability to communicate. His family, in response, began playing recordings of him singing Negro Spirituals at performances he’d given years earlier. To their great delight, when he could no longer speak, Clarence began singing beautifully again with all his heart. Two days before he died, loved ones and church family were invited to share stories and messages of gratitude with him by speakerphone. He passed away peacefully in the company of his wife and daughter at the age of 91 on July 4th, 2020.

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Clarence’s mother, Dorothy Mae, lived an extraordinary life of her own. Known as the area’s “Mahalia Jackson,” she comforted many grieving hearts through song at funerals across St. Mary Parish. She became a Certified Nurse’s Assistant, and was a valued caregiver to prominent families in Franklin. Her loving influence extended from Clarence and his sister, LaVera (Franklin’s first Black female police officer), to cover six generations of descendants, some of whom also became college graduates. She was the moral center of her family. Decades after her husband died, in her mid 70s, Dorothy Mae fell madly in love and married Henry Butler, a kind and gentle soul who adored her. This gesture reminded all of Franklin that love can be found at any time in life. They enjoyed five years together. Dorothy Mae died at the age of 107. Thank you for donating to “Facing Franklin: The Clarence John and Dorothy Mae Guienze Scholarship Fund.” At a time when programs designed to benefit the humble are being dismantled, stories are being untold, votes are being discarded, and history is being re-written, the future of this country relies more upon the generosity of independent donors than ever before.

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Southern University is an outstanding institution for advanced learning and human development. It is also the only Historically Black College and University (HBCU) that can claim a center dedicated to philanthropy, with a corresponding curriculum. Clarence and Dorothy lived to witness historical milestones that they never imagined possible. The greatest highlight was in 2008, when he, at 79, and she, at 97, voted for the country’s first Black president.

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The next “Great American Leader” may be a student at Southern University, and your donation could be the investment that the world needs desperately right now.

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