âLupus warriorâ Debra Dawkins, 70, who has survived kidney and heart failure, considers herself blessed. Debra Dawkins was given a COVID-19 vaccination card after receiving her first dose of the vaccine./Johania Charles for The Miami Times
Despite being diagnosed with the autoimmune disease 18 years ago and undergoing regular dialysis, the retired educator from James H. Bright Elementary School wears many hats in the community, including president of the Northwest Miami Chapter #4686 of AARP, and member of the Metropolitan Dade County Section of the National Council of Negro Women and the Beta Tau Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority.
A charter member of New Jerusalem Primitive Baptist Church who rarely misses virtual services, Dawkins is one of 60 senior congregants who received the Pfizer vaccine Friday through a partnership with Jackson Health System.
By Charles Hutchinson
Going virtual: Chapter House Choir members assembled from home recordings for the 2020 Carols By Candlelight online concert. Picture: Kat Young THE Chapter House Choir will be releasing an online version of its ever-popular Carols By Candlelight concert this evening as part of York Minster’s Christmas programme. After the Coronavirus pandemic snuffed out the usual Carols By Candlelight format, the chamber choir’s 30-minute video performance will be go live today at 7.30pm, free to view via yorkminster.org./whats-on and on the choir’s social-media channels. Created by choir members performing individually from home, the virtual recordings will be set against footage of York Minster’s 13th-century Chapter House in candlelight. Christmas carols both old and new will be complemented by festive music performed by the Handbell Ringers of the Chapter House Choir.