On First Coast Connect Tuesday we heard the story of Dr. Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa. He jumped a border fence in 1987 as an illegal immigrant speaking no english with no money and eventually became one of the most renowned brain surgeons in the country. He recently joined the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. Host Melissa Ross also spoke with local Veterans for Peace coordinator Willie Hager about the controversy over San Francisco 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who is refusing to stand during the national anthem. We also heard from John Lumpkin, the organizer of the Jazz Discovery Series at the Ritz Theatre. On Friday the Ritz will host pre-eminent jazz vocalist Sofia Knezevic.
Adventures of Dr. Q
It was the day before his 19th birthday when he jumped a fence in California looking for a better life. Quinones-Hinojosa had no money and took jobs from picking cotton to welding while working his way through San Joaquin Delta Community College.
He eventually learned English, became a U.S. citizen and went to Harvard before serving as the head of brain tumor surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. His life is being made into a movie being produced by Brad Pitt and Disney. Dr Q, as he is often called, recently joined the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville.
Veterans for Peace
Hager spent 10 years in the Marines and had two tours in Vietnam. As a member of Veterans for Peace he supports Kaepernick’s right to protest by kneeling during the national anthem during NFL games. Others have joined his protest against perceived misconduct by police against black people. Others have been critical of Kaepernick, accusing him of being unpatriotic and disrespectful of those who have served. Hager told Ross the freedom of speech is one of the country’s most closely held rights and Kaepernick should be allowed to protest without fear of retribution.
The Veterans for Peace will be holding an event with Jacksonville Quakers in conjunction with United Nations International Peace Day at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 21. It will be held at the Florida Christian Center Auditorium and feature speakers, music and a re-creation of the Star Spangled Banner by a descendent of Francis Scott Key into an anthem of peace.
Jazz Discovery Series
The John Lumpkin Jazz Discovery Series brings vocalist Sofia Knezevic to Jacksonville Friday at the Ritz Theatre. Knezevic has won many awards and scholarships and was chosen in 2013 for the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead program, which identifies outstanding emerging jazz talent and composers. Lumpkin joined Ross to talk about the series and its long connection to the Ritz.
Producer Kevin Meerschaert can be reached at kmeerschaert@wjct.org, 904-358-6334 or on Twitter at @KMeerschaertJax
