National Black History Month serves as both a celebration and a powerful reminder that Black history is American history. It is about acknowledging and commemorating the contributions African-Americans have made to our freedoms, our culture, and our society.
To honor the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and begin Black History Month, the Interfaith Alliance of Maui recently presented the award-winning film, Green Book, directed by Peter Farrelly. The film is named after The Green Book, published by African American postal worker Victor Green from 1936-1966 during the segregation era in the United States. It was an indispensable travel and safety guide that helped African-American and other non-white travelers find welcoming lodgings, businesses, and gas stations and avoid dangerous and discriminatory establishments. The film is based on the true story of a working-class Italian-American bouncer who becomes the driver for an African-American classical pianist on a tour of venues in the American South during the 1960s.
During the Interfaith Alliance of Maui’s Black History Month meeting, the screening was complemented by an interfaith sharing of reflections on the film’s themes and on what the Maui community can learn from Dr. King. Over 50 people came together for the discussion.
“The two men couldn’t be more different, both in their ethnic makeup and in their beliefs,” said Reverend Kerry Kiyohara, resident minister of the Makawao Hongwanji Mission. “Yet, through the redemptive power of music, food, and continuing conversation, they form an unexpected friendship in the midst of racism and segregation. This tour of the 1960s South is all at once entertaining, uncomfortable, and, most importantly, necessary.” All those who viewed the film agreed, “We must never forget that everyone is equal. One of Dr. King’s main messages is that we are all accountable to our founding principles of freedom, justice, and equality.”
Rev. Kiyohara added, “The Interfaith Alliance of Maui plays a positive and healing role in Hawai‘i among people of faith, good will, and aloha. As an interfaith organization, we believe that by incorporating people of diverse backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs, we can advance an inspiring vision for our future. We hope that all our communities can continue to organize effective responses to hate-based violence and to work across our differences.”
As we celebrate this month, we know it is a 365-day commitment. It takes great courage, as Dr. King had, to stand up to end injustice for all people.
Reverend Kerry Kiyohara, Resident Minister, Makawao Buddhist Temple, Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaiʻi
There wasn’t a dry eye at a recent fundraiser for the new nonprofit, Keiki Kupuna (KK), as the group’s children’s choir performed for their supporters. The nonprofit, which organizes live musical performances for kupuna on Maui and offers free musical education to the children in its choir, was founded by sisters Bobby Goldyn, 17, and Cassie Goldyn, 15. The idea of sharing music with kupuna arose for the sisters many years ago when they were still in elementary school.
“Our grandma Chris was in a hospice center, and she had severe dementia,” Bobby explained. “However, she always loved music. There was a piano in the hospice center and I decided to play it. Grandma’s face lit up, she started clapping, and we made an instant connection.” Cassie added, “Some of the only memories I have of grandma are playing music for her. Before long, our mini performances attracted other kupuna living in the home, and we started visiting more senior living facilities, singing songs from their generation. That’s when KK was born.”
Through their nonprofit, the Goldyn sisters are striving to cement this experience as a permanent fixture on Maui. Since launching in 2023, and with a lot of fundraising, they were able to hire a musical director and have expanded their organization. After holding auditions, the group now includes approximately 20 talented keiki between 4 and 17 years old, creating Maui’s first and only free children’s choir from schools island-wide. An activities organizer at Maui Adult Daycare shared, “When the children of KK visit, our kupuna light up and sing along joyfully with every song.” KK typically specializes in pre-1970s music to better connect with older audiences.
Julia Golding, KK Musical Director, said, “I’m so thankful that I was approached by the Goldyn ‘ohana to be a part of something so special…I am continually inspired by the incredible dedication and passion of the student musicians involved in this ensemble. They possess a deep sense of purpose, understanding the profound impact that music can have in bringing communities together. The students pour their hearts into every rehearsal and performance, not just for personal growth, but with the shared goal of spreading joy and connection. It is a privilege to witness their growth as both musicians and compassionate individuals, eager to use their talents to uplift and enrich the lives of others.”
More information about Keiki Kupuna, including how to request a performance, can be found on their website, https://www.keikikupuna.org/.
What moves me is their genuine commitment to giving back through their craft, as they recognize the transformative power of music to bridge generational gaps and inspire others.
Julia Golding, Musical Director, Keiki Kupuna
Many refer to Maui resident Sue Ann Loudon as magical. In her 40 years of teaching at Baldwin High School, she inspired and changed lives when she founded the drama club, later renamed the Baldwin Theatre Guild (BTG). During a recent Yakamashii Talk Story event at Nisei Veterans Center, host Kathy Collins and Loudon shared stories about those early years, the performances, and the students whose lives were changed. Loudon has mentored hundreds of Maui students, including Wayne Moniz, Lee Cataluna, Eric Gilliom, Amy Hānaiali‘i, Judge Joseph Cardoza, Chris Kepler, and Kathy Collins. Retired in 2005, Loudon was delighted when her former student Linda Carnevale became her successor as BTG director.
“Carnevale is doing an outstanding job, and I always look forward to BTGs performances,” Loudon said. “She is committed to pushing the boundaries of artistic excellence and nurturing the next generation of Maui’s talent. The most important thing for everyone to remember is that every child has the opportunity to experience theater and the arts to enrich their creative expression.”
Collins shared, “I was very active in speech and drama activities while attending Baldwin High School. Miss Loudon taught drama and built a remarkable program which spawned professional entertainers like Amy and Eric, as well as many of Maui’s community theatre performers. She put greasepaint in my blood, and I owe my career to her guidance and encouragement. The first time I stepped on stage before an audience, playing a munchkin in the Wizard of Oz, I was hooked! I knew then that theatre would be a lifelong passion.”
Paul Janes-Brown, host of Curtain Call and the Mana‘o Radio Alpha and Omega Show, said, “Sue Ann Loudon created one of the most remarkable high school theater programs that I have ever seen in my life. She made young people stars. You actually thought you were watching a Broadway performance. She provided enchantment. So many of the youth she mentored are in performing arts on Maui and all over the world. She just has an inspirational impact on the people she comes in contact with. She has real magic!”
Loudon’s legacy of excellence in the performing arts continues into 2025. For their spring musical this year, the Baldwin Theatre Guild will present Mary Poppins on February 28 and March 1, 7, 8, and 9. The full cast list can be found at Instagram.com/btgmaui/. Community members are encouraged to attend and support the continuation of performing arts education on Maui.
I wholeheartedly believe in the power of theatre to enrich lives and foster community.
Sue Ann Loudon, Founder and Teacher, Baldwin Theatre Guild
Maui resident Christine Sabado’s new book, The Essence of Time: Pule Oʻo, is a journey to Molokai as it was some 55 years ago. The book, published in the fall of 2024 and the first in a trilogy, is an intimate memoir featuring all things Molokai, with a special focus on her relationship with her husband, Molokai-born artist Philip Sabado, and his Filipino family. The themes of the book will be familiar to all Hawaiʻi residents: the importance of family, cultural belonging, and aloha.
Sabado shares her highly personal voyage as she falls in love with the ways of her adopted Molokai life. “As a Southern California transplant, I learned and embraced the fused cultural norms of East and West, and the ‘das how’ to live one’s life. I learned to appreciate the respectful approach to oneness and pono (harmony) with the island, and the warmth of the people with whom I share the aloha spirit.”
Speaking on what she would like the community to take away from her books, Sabado said, “After 75 years on this planet, and 55 years married to Philip, this incredible Molokai man, as well as 35 years in Hawaiʻi Nei, my dialect has changed. I have infused ‘Ōlelo Hawaiʻi…into my thoughts and actions. In this writing, through my pule, I have wrapped and bound every word.”
Readers follow along as Sabado chronicles her introduction to Molokai as it was decades ago – its language, people, myths, and land – a personal history that details adversity, tragedy, and hope. In addition, she describes the artistic work of her husband and, most notably, how he came to paint a now famous portrait of St. Damien de Veuster of Kalaupapa.
Sabado concluded, “This is a story I love telling! My hope is to share my journey through our island paradise. The book is available on Amazon and at the new Sabado Museum and Gallery in Wailuku.”
Throughout my years in Hawaiʻi, I have been brought to understand my humble place in these islands. I am writing for those who want to broaden their understanding and deepen their appreciation for diverse cultures and for those who understand the wonders of being wildly, passionately in love.
Christine Sabado, Author, The Essence of Time: Pule Oʻo
Something new is changing lives at Venture Physical Therapy (VPT), also known as Venture Rehab. A family run small business started in 2008 and now with three clinics on Maui and the sole physical therapy (PT) practice on Lānaʻi, VPT clinics are the only ones in the state that currently utilize exoskeleton technology from Ekso Bionics. By developing wearable robotics to assist patients who have lost mobility, Ekso is helping thousands of individuals take millions of Ekso-aided steps.
Ekso’s robotic exoskeleton, EksoSkeleton, is designed to reteach the brain and muscles to properly walk again. It allows patients who are unable to walk to experience walking safely and also helps individuals who are able to walk to regain a natural gait. FDA-approved for a wide variety of conditions that affect mobility, including brain injury, stroke, spinal cord injury, Parkinson’s disease, neuropathy, and multiple sclerosis, the EksoSkeleton allows patients to practice balancing, shifting weight, squatting, walking backwards, and stepping in place.
“The Ekso is exciting because it represents a level of technology and care not seen in the state before,” said Dr. Ted Anderson, owner of VPT and winner of the 2022 Mayor’s Small Business Award. “It provides a huge opportunity to continue to strengthen neural pathways long after muscles fatigue. Plus, the incredible thing about the Ekso is watching the overwhelming joy of patients and their families as they take their first steps.”
VPT physical therapist Talia Petersen shared, “The Ekso is a wonderful representation of how technology and physiology come together to elevate our treatment. It is specially programmed to both support and challenge the patient to improve their walking pattern.”
Lisa Selman noted about her sister Sharon’s physical therapy, “This exoskeleton was a game-changer for my sister, who was diagnosed with severe traumatic brain injury and left-side injuries from a pedestrian accident. It kick-started her recovery by reestablishing the brain-body signals and connections. To have had access to such amazing rehabilitation technology through Venture Rehab has made a huge difference in her ability to use a walker and regain greater mobility and independence.”
For more information, go to venturerehab.com or follow VPT on social media, @venturerehab.
With the help of a wearable robotic exoskeleton, mobilization can begin. There are a lot of happy tears at our Kalama Heights clinic.
Dr. Ted Anderson, Owner and Physical Therapist, Venture Physical Therapy
Happy Thanksgiving from Maui Economic Development Board – we are grateful for the strength, resilience, and spirit of our community, and we wish you and your ‘ohana a safe and joyful holiday season!
After moving from Texas to Hilo at age thirteen, Jill Engledow arrived on Maui in 1968 already in love with Hawaiʻi—its land, people, and culture. As an award-winning author and journalist, for years she has written nonfiction about Maui, from news stories to books. After working as a reporter for the Maui News from 1980 to 1998, Engledow turned to freelance writing, mainly about historical Maui events and the local culture.
Engledow’s nonfiction books include Haleakalā: A History of the Maui Mountain, for which she was awarded a 2013 Independent Book Publisher Award. In addition, her book Sugarcane Days: Remembering Maui’s Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company won a Preservation Honor Award from the Historic Hawaiʻi Foundation.
Another of Engledow’s books, The Story of Lahaina, has been in great demand again. “People have been sending me notes of appreciation for writing it because they want to remember the Lahaina they loved so much,” she said. “I have recently added a chapter at the end about the 2023 wildfires. It was such a tragic event and such a huge loss. My heart and prayers go out to all those affected as I, along with many, look forward to Lahaina’s restoration.”
Currently, Engledow is working on novels, using what she has learned about this “world’s best island” to tell tales about women making lives for themselves on Maui in years gone by. “I love to tell a story,” she emphasized, “and Maui is an amazing place with an incredible history. Fiction is new for me. It takes a long time to come up with a plot. However, through my knowledge and local experiences, the Women on Maui trilogy was born.”
The trilogy begins with The Island Decides, a 1971 story about single-mom Carrie Ann Emerson’s search for her lost daughter and how they end up on Maui. In the sequel, A Dollar and Love, the story continues with Carrie and her daughter, Rorie, living in rural Makawao. Finally, in Rose’s War, an Upcountry Maui woman’s friend and farm manager is unjustly suspected of being a Japanese spy during WWII. All of Engledow’s books are available on Amazon.
The Rotary Club of Lahaina Sunset recently featured Jenny Worth, Maui Disaster Program Manager for the American Red Cross, as their guest speaker to share information about the efforts of the Maui Red Cross since the 2023 wildfires. In her role, Worth educates families on emergency preparedness ahead of a crisis and responds to local disasters by providing comfort and emergency resources to people affected. She is also a resident of the West Maui community.
The Red Cross offered Immediate Assistance funds shortly after the wildfires to help with urgent needs like buying groceries, clothing, and other essentials. They have also delivered additional support through their Bridge Financial Assistance Program to many of the hardest-hit residents—those whose homes suffered major damage or were destroyed—as they seek to overcome significant recovery roadblocks and get back on their feet. As of February 8, 2024, the Red Cross has provided financial assistance totaling approximately $24.8 million, reaching thousands of people still reeling from the devastating fires.
“It’s our privilege and responsibility to give something back,” Worth said. “My work gives me incredible purpose, which was never more apparent than on August 8. Vivid memories surface when I remember the night of the wildfires—how my husband, a Red Cross volunteer, opened a shelter, and then as the fire burned closer, woke a local principal so they could move the shelter to a safer location at the school. We helped shelter hundreds of Lahaina residents, some of whom were brought in soaking wet after fleeing into the ocean to escape the flames.”
As the shelter filled up with a mix of locals and visitors, Worth saw her community turn out in force. Thousands of new volunteers signed up in the first two days to help their friends and neighbors. The Red Cross disaster teams and partners remain committed to ensuring families have a safe place to stay and receive compassionate and equitable care.
Reflecting on the outpouring of support, Worth explained, “It’s the concept of ‘kuleana,’ a Hawaiian word that translates as responsibility, but means so much more. It moves everyone to help.” She also shared a reminder: “The need for volunteers is always great.” For more information about how to get involved, visit https://www.redcross.org/volunteer/become-a-volunteer.html.
You won’t find another community that shows up like ours.
Jenny Worth
American Red Cross
Maui Disaster Program Manager
Maui artist Joanne Hopper was recently juried into the American Watercolor Society’s 157th International Exhibition in New York City for her painting, Lahaina Banyan Light. Hopper’s work was her heartfelt response to the fires on Maui.
“I painted this watercolor of the iconic Lahaina Banyan Tree in response to the wildfires of August 8, 2023, which utterly destroyed Lahaina town and ravaged other areas of Maui as well,” Hopper said. “The beloved tree was planted near Lahaina Harbor more than 150 years ago and now covers an entire city block, the largest banyan in the United States. It was severely damaged during the fires. All of its foliage, many of its aerial roots, and several of its trunks on the town side seemed gone or damaged beyond recovery.”
Arborists have been brought in to treat the tree with irrigation, soil aeration, fertilization, and compost. Amazingly, the roots were deep enough and the tree was strong enough that new leaves and shoots are beginning to return from the many trunks of this singular tree.
Hopper added, “I and many others see this tree as a metaphor for the strength, resilience, healing, and hope for Lahaina. The light on one of its beautiful trunks in this painting symbolizes for me the hope, future, and continued healing of the tree and people of Lahaina and Maui, a reminder of our indomitable spirits.”
Hopper’s work can be seen at the Viewpoints Art Gallery in historic Makawao town. The gallery’s new show, Lucky Live Hawaiʻi: A Positive Outlook on Living in Our Cherished Islands, runs from July 7 to September 16. It features over forty Hawaiʻi artists and a wide variety of artistic mediums.
“It’s a wonderful show,” Hopper noted. “The show name comes from the popular saying, Lucky We Live Hawaiʻi, a phrase that islanders use to show their gratitude for being able to experience things you could only know if you live in Hawaiʻi. It is not only a well-known hashtag, it also represents local pride and thanks for Hawaiʻi’s natural beauty. The numerous talented artists represented in the Viewpoints show exhibit their breathtaking visions of the Hawaiian Islands. Come and see!”
I am honored to bring Banyan Light to NYC and to be included in Viewpoints’ Lucky Live Hawaiʻi show.
