From the Hornet's Nest: To the Eagle's Crest

By Laurie L. Barnes and Tommy L. Johnson

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 20, 2009
• ISBN: 9781469122694

Laurie L. Barnes

An Artist Profi le of Tommy L. Johnson My journey in the arts began when I wrote my high school song, poem, and motto in 1972. This journey has included the following achievements: the publication of My Book of Poems in 1996. I appeared on Good Morning ArklaMiss and KGRM radio and T V stations in Monroe and Grambling, Louisiana. Excerpts from my poetry have appeared in these newspapers and publications: The Jackson Advocate, New Voices in American Poetry, The National Library of Poetry, The International Library of Poetry, The Mississippi Delta Forum and Poetry.Com. The Jackson Advocate and The Shreveport Times have reviewed excerpts from my poetry collection. Excerpts of My Poetry has been recited and performed in eight states. What makes an artist? People have tried to answer that question since the dawn of creation. I believe the essence of a good artist is to have the gift of the creative juices. The creative juices are gifts that allow the artist to bare his/her soul. Only when you use your creative juices can you call yourself an artist.

Book preview

THE HORNET’S NEST

From the Hornet’s Nest to the

Eagle’s Crest, Acquiring Power

through Adversity

Tommy L. Johnson

Copyright © 2009 by Tommy L. Johnson.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2009901757

ISBN:   Hardcover       978-1-4415-1514-8

   Softcover                 978-1-4415-1513-1

   eBook                     978-1-4691-2269-4

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

32308

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Reviews

Prologue

Introductory Overview

Historical Setting

Chapter I

Chapter II

Chapter III

Chapter IV

Chapter V

Anger in the Hornet’s Nest

Prologue

For the survivors and underdogs

and those who have been through the Hornet’s Nest.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ODE TO THE HORNET’S NEST

THIS POEM IS DEDICATED TO

THOSE WHOSE HELP AND SUPPORT

GUIDED ME THROUGH THE HORNET’S NEST.

TO MAMA DADDY AND FAMILY WHOSE STRENGTH AND

WORK ETHICS GAVE ME THE RIGHT STUFF TO SURVIVE THE HORNET’S NEST!

TO RICHARDSON PRIMARY

AND ADDISON HIGH SCHOOL WHO PROVIDED

THE FOUNDATION OF KNOWLEDGE THAT

ALLOWED ME TO COPE IN THE HORNET’S NEST!

TO JACKSON STATE AND GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY

WHOSE EDUCATIONAL TRAINING GAVE ME THE PHILOSOPHY

TO SERVE IN THE HORNET’S NEST!

TO ELVIN AND BRIDIE WHO GAVE ME A PLACE OF REST

DURING THE HORNET’S NEST!

TO ANNIE AND MARK SCOTT WHOSE FARM

SERVED AS MY RETREAT FROM THE HORNET’S NEST!

TO ROBERT GILBERT WHOSE FINANCES AND ENCOURAGEMENT

INSPIRED ME TO WRITE ABOUT THE HORNET’S NEST!

TO LARRY HOLSTON AND DARRYL JENKINS WHOSE CRITIQUE

AND TECHNICAL ADVICE ENABLED ME

TO WRITE ABOUT THE HORNET’S NEST!

TO LEROY HAWTHORNE JR. AND MONICA AND ELLIOT JONES

WHOSE MUSICAL AND WRITING EXPERTISE ALLOWED ME

TO RECORD MY BLUES

DURING AND AFTER THE HORNET’S NEST!

TO MR. V. C. SCOTT AND MR. JERRY MAYFIELD,

VIETNAM VETERANS WHO LIVED IN A HORNET’S NEST,

YOUR STORY IS A TRIBUTE TO THOSE UNSUNG HEROES

WHO WARRED, LIVED, AND DIED IN WAR’S HORNET NEST!

TO MRS. CARPENTER, DR. TOMMIE STEWART, AND

DR. BENNIE REEVES TEACHERS WHO MADE ME BELIEVE

THAT I COULD THRIVE IN A HORNET’S NEST!

TO TERESA JACKSON "THE HORNET’ WHO TAUGHT ME TO

DRESS UP AND SAVE A DIME IN THE HORNET’S NEST!

TO MR JOHNNY GREY WHOSE HELP AND PATIENCE ALLOWED

ME TO LIVE IN A TRAILER I CALLED THE HORNET NEST!

TO DR. KAREN MARTIN, MR. REGGIE RAGLAND,

DR LINDA OSBORNE, AND DR, HAROLD LUNDY

WHO TRIED TO HELP ME IN THE HORNET’S NEST!

TO MARY C., KISHA G., AND LENNY H. MY FRRIENDS

AND CHEERLEADERS DURING AND AFTER THE HORNET’S NEST!

TO GINA V., DR. GRACE T., DR. P.,

DR. DAVIS (MASSA JEFFERSON);

THE TIGER MODERNIZED BARBER SHOP, AND

MS. Dixon—MY SISTERS AND SUPPORTERS

BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER THE HORNET’S NEST!

TO THE LATE GAIL STEVERSON LEE, BEVERLY, DR. FARMER,

AND DR. BARHAM WHOSE CRITICAL

AND EDITORAL ANALYSIS SERVED

ME WELL DURING THE HORNET’S NEST;

TO GRAMBLING CHRISTIAN CENTER, MR. TUCKER!

DR. R. E. YOUNG, MINSTER C. JONES,

PASTOR EDWARD LEWIS, AND DR. J. GITHIGIA

MY SPIRITUAL ADVSORS DURING

AND AFTER THE HORNET’S NEST!

TO MEDIVEAL (EARNESTINE) MY TWIN WHOSE FRIENDSHIP

AND SUPPORT SUSTAINED ME DURING THE HORNET’S NEST!

TO MR. ADKINS, MR. MORELES, AND XLIBRIS WHO TOOK THE

CHANCE TO PUBLISH MY FEELINGS ABOUT THE HORNET’S NEST!

TO GOD ALMIGHTY THROUGH HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST, WHO

GAVE ME THE STRENGTH TO CONQUER THE HORNET’S NEST

SO I CAN CLAIM THE EAGLE’S CREST!

REVIEWS

Tommy’s book tells the story of triumph through adversity. He grew up in an environment dominated by poverty and hard work. He is the product of good family values. This is a story of overcoming and triumphing through adversity. I have known Tommy and his family for nearly fifty years, and they were always misunderstood and underestimated by people. He was one of my better students in spite of the fact that many doubted his emotional and academic ability. Tommy has not let doubt and misjudgments stand in the way of achievement. He had a 3.50 average in graduate school and later became a published author.

The Hornet’s Nest is Tommy’s attempt to tell the world how God has used him to deal with adversity. It says that a godly relationship along with the desire to serve and uplift people is key to gaining power over adversity. Tommy and his family bear witness to the fact that hard times and adversity are often the stepping-stones to success and accomplishments. I can truly say that Tommy and his family have succeeded in traveling from the Hornet’s Nest to the Eagle’s Crest!

Bennie L. Reeves Sr. Retired Teacher

Miami, Florida

I recall meeting Tommy Johnson one spring in history class during my college days at Jackson State University. I find The Hornet’s Nest moving and deeply spiritual. The book tells how God grants power through adversity. I recall Tommy as a student who was not sure of his identity. He has matured as a deeply intellectual and spiritual man who has felt the sting of adversity. Unlike other how-to books, this book rests on the idea that one can gain power through adverse situations. The theme rests on the truism that God is the center of true power. He often uses adversity to strengthen and purify you. This is a book that should be read by all ages. Older readers benefit because it can reinforce and challenge their spiritual beliefs. Younger readers benefit because it challenges them to rise above their situations while realizing that knowing God is the key to true power.

I initially viewed Tommy as a little brother who needed guidance. I saw him emerge as a survivor and winner during the Great Recession of the 1980s. Recent experience with adversity qualifies Tommy to write The Hornet’s Nest because he learns and benefits from mistakes and adversity. I witnessed his emergence from a rather hickish (rural) speaker to a published author. I saw Tommy Johnson develop from an unsure student to a mature and spiritual man. Though many may comment on grammar, dialect, and other real or perceived weaknesses, the essence of The Hornet’s Nest lies in the author’s attempt to tell how God grants power through adversity. Tommy believes that the sting of adversity reveals more about character than the smell of success. Only when one survives the Hornet’s Nest will you appreciate the sweetness of the Eagle’s Crest. Tommy’s book is a blueprint that tells the reader how God moves you from the Hornet’s Nest to the Eagle’s Crest!

Robert L. Gilbert

Retired medical technician

Manager Walmart

Jackson, Mississippi

Tommy Johnson is one of a kind! He is talented, intellectual, funny, and a serious writer! The Hornet’s Nest is Tommy’s efforts to tell how God grants power through adversity. I was impressed how he used various characters to tell this story! Tommy is a writer who possesses deep historical insight. He has the ability to challenge your thinking and ideals on any subject. Tommy Johnson is our poet laureate!

MAAT Andrews

Writer, editor, and teacher

Department of English

Grambling State University

Grambling, Louisiana

I met Tommy as a professor in the Education Department at Grambling State University. I viewed Tommy as a developmental student that possessed intellectual and spiritual gifts. The Hornet’s Nest is his attempt to tell how God grants power through adversity. Tommy’s story is an attempt to describe how God uses adversity to empower. This book tells how God uses cognitive, initiatives, and spiritual empowerment as tools to conquer demonic and adverse situations. Cognitive, affective, and literary techniques serve as methodological techniques to support the theme of the book.

Tommy can write this book because it is a testimony to how God delivered him from adversity. In spite of misjudgment, he obtained an MS in Developmental Education and became a published author. Some view him as a handicapped, but Tommy is a deeply spiritual man who uses his gifts to help and uplift others. He has not allowed prejudice and misjudgment to stop his spiritual, emotional, and academic development. Tommy is a rarity in higher education because he views learning as a tool to help, uplift, and inspire others. Tommy is a man who has been in the darkness, but he has seen a great light. This light allows him the insight to write this book.

Robert E. Young, ED D. and self-employed businessman,

Word Publishers; Greenville, Mississippi

When one looks through the maze of life’s experience, one is often faced with the question of justice and fairness. Sometimes one may be tempted to use violent or drastic means to address a situation. However, The Hornet’s Nest rests on the assumption that one need not to be crushed by adversity. I met Tommy Johnson as a graduate student and a published author. He never lets adversity dampen his desire for success and achievement. In The Hornet’s Nest, Tommy attempts to tell how the Creator uses adversity as a tool for success. The book bears out various truisms about human achievement. For instance, success comes only after adhering to the rules of successful outcome. The characters and the setting of this book describe pain, frustration, anger, and danger; however, it tells how God grants spiritual strength to overcome and triumph. In spite of being misguided and misunderstood, Tommy continues to forge new avenues of achievement. For instance, he does seminars, consulting, and dramatic presentations. I feel that his achievements qualifying him to tell others how God can deliver you from the Hornet’s Nest to the Eagle’s Crest.

Darrell Jenkins

Author, artist, technician, and art instructor

Art Department,

Grambling State University

Grambling, LA

The Hornet’s Nest is a story on how one can function in an adverse environment. It is also a warning because it describes how men and women use power and inhumanity to stifle and curse the human spirit. Tommy Johnson is a writer who has experienced the hornet’s nest! For instance, he has been constantly misjudged and misunderstood. Tommy has seen opportunities slammed in his face while others were allowed to reap the fruits of their labor. Yes, thy nuked and Zulu Warrior but the Zulu rises again!

Many believe they know Tommy Johnson the writer and student, but the do not know him as a man and a friend. Tommy and I were heavily involved in the Grambling State University Doctoral Student Association. He assisted them in various activities during my tenure as president of the Doctoral Student Association. He also assisted in efforts to enhance and uplift the masters and doctoral programs in misjudgment and lack of support. Tommy believes that God grants power through service. His experience qualifies him to serve as a guide from the Hornet’s Nest to the Eagle’s Crest. Tommy is a writer and a man whom I am honored to call FRIEND!

Medieval

Doctor Earnestine Bennett-Johnson

New Orleans, Louisiana

Tommy is an exceptional person because even in the mists of the hornet’s nest he helped people through various personal and academic situations. Tommy’s encouragement gave people like me the inspiration to become a self-published poet and author. The hornet’s nest is inspirational because it tells how God grants power over adversity. It is also a warning because it tells people not to forget their past while warning them to treat people with kindness and humanity. Some people think that they know Tommy as a person. I know him as a writer, man and a friend.

Linda Mays-Logan

Poet/Author

Knowing this Author is like basking in sunshine! I recalled meeting him as a student. He would tease me about attending Grambling State University because he graduated form our rival school Jackson State University. I often remind him that Grambling is the Real Tiger, while Jackson State’s Blue and White Tigers do not exist! I had the pleasure of reviewing Tommy’s first book My Book of Poems. I discovered his writings were challenging because it they contain stated and hidden messages. Tommy often uses similes and metaphors in his writings. For instance, the term hornet’s nest is a metaphor. Meanwhile, the word hornet is a term Tommy uses to describe vicious and cruel people. My duties as an educational professor has kept me from analyzing the Hornet’s Nest, but I’m quite familiar with the themes covered in the book. Since I grew up in Mississippi I know about racism, hardship and poverty. Since I work in an academic environment I’m acquainted with the petty cruelty that people use to crush people souls! Furthermore, since Tommy helped inspired me to become a published author I appreciate how God gave him power by delivering him from the Hornet’s Nest to the Eagle’s Crest. I can truly say that this author’s story is an inspiration!

Nan Mcjamerson: ED.D.

GSU: Education Professor

And Published Poet

PROLOGUE

June-August 2005

Napolville, Louisiana

Crowder’s Ranch

Crowdertown, Mississippi

On June 19, 2005 after reciting poetry at the Napolville June 10 celebrations and receiving news that he would be hired as a sanitation worker for the Napolville Department of Public Utilities, Thomas Jacobs received a call from his friend and associate Roberto Gibson.

Thomas, it’s time you write about your Hornet’s Nest experience because it will let people know that the Lord has given you power over adversity.

"Rober, that all well and