The Yvonne James-Brown A.R.T.S. Scholarship Award

In memory of the life and accomplishments of Yvonne James-Brown, her family is formally announcing the Yvonne James-Brown Scholarship Award for Academics, Resilience, Talent and Spirit (A.R.T.S.). The Yvonne James-Brown A.R.T.S. Scholarship Award will be awarded to one student in the graduating class at the Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts in Buffalo, NY who best embodies the values of intentionality, awareness and purpose, with which Yvonne lived her life.   Yvonne lived a life filled with a deep love for her family, her community, and her students. That love was fueled by her sense of purpose, a spirit that seemed to always guide her to serve others.   Yvonne James-Brown was born in Bronx, New York on October 25th, 1949. In the 1970’s, Yvonne, was a part of the inaugural cohort of black students, selected for the Upward Bound program. This program gave her the opportunity to attend the University at Buffalo. This set off a series of events in Yvonne’s life where she would spend her time building community and spurring economic development. She was the founding member of the Black Dance Workshop and Center for Positive Thought in Buffalo, New York. She taught at Erie Community College and Buffalo State College; and in 1978, at the age of twenty-nine, she joined the Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts.   Continuing to follow her values of community and leadership, she would take what she learned in her early years and pass it down to the next generation. At the Jamaica Independence Day Celebration Ball in New York City, she led a troupe of thirty high schoolers to perform before an audience of 1,500 people. At the Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts, she choreographed modern and African-Caribbean dance numbers and ballets for countless students throughout her career. Yvonne was known for going above and beyond for her students. Her son, Ahmed, recalls waiting for her dance rehearsals to end and being frustrated that he was consistently delayed in getting home to play his video games. After each rehearsal, Yvonne insisted on waiting for each student to be picked up and she would not hesitate to drop students off personally or invite them into her home. In her classroom, Yvonne emphasized the importance of self-love, preparedness, and discipline to her students, all while leading as an example. In 1994, her dedication as an educator was recognized on both the local and national stage as she was awarded Buffalo Public School’s Teacher of the Year Award and was also selected as one of the nation's 60 outstanding educators by the Disney Channel.   In retirement, Yvonne remained a devoted wife, mother, sister, grandmother, friend and community leader. She spent her time as the secretary of the Minnesota Ave. block club, partnered with the Buffalo Urban League summer youth program, took French classes, and instructed dance companies. Known as a giving and ever patient person, Yvonne James-Brown did not believe in wasting time or slowing down. Yvonne lived a full, creative life of intention, purpose and pride. One of her favorite things to tell people—usually while throwing a scarf of African print over her shoulder--was that she was “in the Arts”.   The Brown family extends their sincere gratitude to her students, many of whom followed in her footsteps, for naming the Yvonne James-Brown Arts Scholarship Award for Academics, Resilience, Talent and Spirit (A.R.T.S). Thank you, for your thoughts, prayers, and well wishes and please consider making a donation to the A.R.T.S. scholarship in her memory.   With Love, The Family of Yvonne James-Brown Gregory, Damali & Ahmed