A legend in his native home of Jacksonville, Florida, James V. Brooks was a graduate of Bethune-Cookman University and Florida State University. He excelled as an itinerant string instructor, high school music teacher and band director for local high schools in Jacksonville. He was also a devoted church musician and a member of Simpson United Methodist Church. James was known for his rhythmic choreography on the field and as result his band students received “superior” ratings in competitions throughout the state. He encouraged his students to be the best. “It is no wonder that many students looked to him as a father figure. James developed a close relationship with his students and served as a mentor for them. It is because of his love for music, high esteem for his students, and his desire to place an everlasting love of music in young people is why we established the foundation,” said his sister Shirley Bing, Founder and President of the Black Rose Foundation.
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