Deborah Levine and Zakiyah Hooker
Deborah Levine A Woman of History Making History
Multi-dimensional. Purposed. Passionate. Resilient. These words and many more describe Deborah Levine – a woman of history making history as she lives.
A Chattanoogan by choice, the soft-spoken author gave the Chattanooga News Chronicle the honor of an interview for readers to be inspired during Women’s History Month, as well as know the hidden achievers who live in our very own community.
Deborah Levine’s biography features her accomplishments to include the roles of author, writing coach, editor-in-chief, script writer, journalist, and pioneer of cross-cultural leadership. Just as her roles are many so are her passions to learn, study, read, write, communicate, and convey to others tremendous insight and information.
It’s clear that Ms. Levine has accomplished and continues to accomplish much in her life’s work, which is devoted to bridging the divides of culture, stereotypes, and barriers of society. So, where did it begin?
Deborah Levine (DL): “I was the only little Jewish girl on the island of Bermuda where I grew up. Even in my first years, I was a minority in the minority,” speaking of her family’s home in Bermuda after her family’s move from Brooklyn New York. My older brother was a tease, and said I was the most oblivious person on the planet as an explorer, reader, and one who loved learning. My younger brother had autism and inspired my mom’s special education gifting.”
As an award-winning author and film maker, Deborah Levine’s inspiration comes from the amazing experiences revealed through letters of her father, Aaron Levine, a former intelligence officer for the US Army employed in critical missions to interview Nazis during the course of World War II.
The Liberator’s Daughter is among the 20 books written by Levine. The stirring accounts of her father’s firsthand confrontation of the horrors of Nazi Germany, including the squalor and decay of the death camps, are also depicted in the documentary, UNTOLD, Stories of a WWII Liberator. Deborah was given letters written by her father and writings he had composed during his service to the United States of America as a hate-filled ideology had ruined a once progressive nation, Germany. The book and documentary give personal accounts resulting from the efforts of Nazi Germany to eradicate any threat to their perceived superiority in race and beliefs. This population purging resulted in the deaths of more than 6 million Jews but also thousands of Blacks, those labeled sexual deviants, people with disabilities, political opponents of the Nazis, and many others who were targeted for extermination based on their threat to Nazi power.
Her inspiration is also fueled by a love of being a lifelong learner devoted to opportunities to engage and encourage others to write, record, and take note of their own lives for the preservation for family and the next generations.
DL: “Write a blog. Keep a journal or diary. Write down your events today for the next generation tomorrow. These writings are needed by the next generation, but the practice must be taught so they will write down their own experiences for history’s record.”
Deborah Levine sees the value of each person. She looks beyond a gender, race, partisan label, socio-economic state, or ethnicity to see the value of all.
After discussing the deep impressions of her father’s accounts of his service to America in such a unique role as one who would have been targeted for extermination by the very men he interviewed, CNC asked Ms. Levine to offer her thoughts of the misuse and use of power. The discussion had included the parallels of the millions who accepted the ideology of the Nazis even after America had fought its own Civil War principally over the belief that it was legal and right to own another God-given life as property and for profit.
Ms. Levine’s response: “It is true that if we forget our history, we fail to learn from the horrors and failures and are destined to repeat it. Recognizing echoes of the past are important. While our times may appear to be of chaos, that can also be a time of great creativity and can actually breed life.”
Deborah Levine was a minority in the minority at Harvard beginning her academic studies and in many endeavors, yet prevails as a resilient trailblazer using her talents of creative writing, storytelling, and thought synthesized from vast reading and experiences.
When asked about her more recent works, Ms. Levine spoke of her bout with a life-threatening illness that presented a challenge to press through.
DL: “I’ve seemed to always possess the ability to adapt, adjust, and flourish in spite of, or perhaps because of challenges. This led to my latest book, The Art of Resilience: From Pain to Promise. The book inspires, encourages faith, and speaks to endurance and growing your grit. Adapting to change but also being the change we want to see in this world is part of the critical process. It’s not a spectator process. It’s part of life.”
Continue to follow Deborah Levine at the AmericanDiversityReport.com and enjoy the documentary on YouTube. Be a lifelong learner who carries forward the events of the past for the next generation.
The Chattanooga News Chronicle celebrates Women’s History Month. We honor Deborah Levine for her contributions and for her enduring dedication to making history every day.
From Detroit Roots to Global Stages, Zakiya Hooker Redefines the Blues
As we celebrate Women’s History Month, the Chattanooga News Chronicle spotlights exceptional women whose achievements have shaped their fields. Among them stands Douglasville, Georgia’s Zakiya Hooker, whose authentic artistry and dedication to preserving blues traditions embody the genre’s enduring spirit.
Born in Detroit to blues legend John Lee Hooker, Zakiya grew up surrounded by soulful melodies that would later influence her own musical journey. Yet rather than simply walking in her father’s shadow, she has blazed her own trail–honoring his cultural inheritance while establishing a distinctive voice that appeals to contemporary audiences.
“The blues was my soundtrack from day one,” Zakiya says, reflecting on her upbringing. “There was never a shortage of music and excitement around our home. When my dad would practice, and the band would come over to rehearse, I thought the band members were too cool. I loved watching my dad and listening to the blues.”
Zakiya, born Vera Lee Hooker, left Detroit to escape a difficult relationship, relocating to California to be near her father. Following her first marriage’s dissolution, the single mother embraced a new identity with a name signifying “pure” in Hebrew and “intelligence” in Swahili.
Supporting her three children through determination and versatility, Zakiya built a remarkable career spanning three decades–serving two years with the Oakland Police Department, five years at Kaiser, and dedicating 28 years to the Superior Court of California.
In 1991, she launched her performing career, debuting alongside her famous dad at the Kaiser Center Theatre in Oakland. Despite the inherent pressure of following in her father’s footsteps, she has embraced the challenge, overcoming personal obstacles and proving her own aesthetic merit. Infused with blues, jazz and soul, her style is both deeply expressive and undeniably real.
“I have always kept music in my life, even in the days when I did not know how I was going to make it,” she explains. “I’ve had days when I was down, and I wondered how I was going to make it. When my son died, it was music that got me through. I went into the studio with my dad and recorded Mean Mean World. During bad times, I put some music on, get up, dust myself off and keep it moving. Thank God for the gift of music.”
Zakiya’s impressive discography, including albums like Flavors of the Blues, Keeping It Real, and Bluesman’s Journey, demonstrates her versatility and commitment to professional growth. In 2017, she took her involvement to a new level by learning guitar.
“Picking up the guitar was a game-changer,” she reveals. “It allowed me to express myself more fully, to write and compose music that truly reflected my vision.”
Her 2020 release Legacy, which she produced, wrote and composed, perfectly encapsulates this newfound creative control.
Zakiya’s dedication to her craft has led her to share stages with blues luminaries like Etta James, Taj Mahal and Johnnie Johnson, and to perform at prestigious festivals around the world.
“Every performance is a chance to honor my father’s legacy and to keep the blues alive,” she says. “It’s about passing the torch to a new generation.”
Beyond the stage, Zakiya’s voice has been featured in advertisements and film soundtracks, further solidifying her impact on the music industry. But for Zakiya, it’s the emotional connection with her audience that truly matters.
“When I sing, I want people to feel something,” she emphasizes. “Whether it’s the pain of a broken heart or the joy of overcoming adversity, I want my music to touch their souls.”
Reflecting on her father’s influence, Zakiya shares, “The best advice my father gave me was to be true to myself and follow my heart when doing my music.”
This guidance shaped her artistic journey–a path honoring her heritage while expressing her unique voice.
“My father was a simple humble man who had a dream and followed it. The music was entwined in his DNA and like him, it is in mine as well.” Zakiya and her husband, Ollan Christopher Bell (Chris James), a California native and co-founder of the 1970s R&B group Natural Four, moved to Douglasville in 2008.