David Anthony Suhor
Suhor delivering an invocation
Born (1968-04-29) April 29, 1968
New Orleans, Louisiana
Alma materFlorida State University University of West Florida
Occupation(s)Jazz Musician and Teacher
EmployerShamaLamaGram
Known forActivist for separation of church and state as well as religious freedom

David Suhor is an American jazz musician and teacher living in Pensacola, Florida; he is the founder of a local business called ShamaLamaGram that delivers singing telegrams.

Suhor is also known for being a local activist for separation of church and state as well as religious freedom and equality. He is well known for his role as a plaintiff in the 2017 judgement to remove the Bayview park cross and also as a founder of a local chapter of The Satanic Temple.

Music

David Suhor was originally from New Orleans Raised in Tallahassee. Suhor grew up in a large family being 9th of 11 children.[1]

When he left home for college he moved to Pensacola where he attended Florida State University (FSU) where his musical pursuits took back seat to academic and employment requirements.[1] For ten years Suhor worked in computer networking and teaching.[2]

In 1994 Suhor met saxophonist Thom Botsford who introduced Suhor to jazz, together they formed a band which started Suhor on his career of performing professionally.[1]

Suhor returned to college at University of West Florida (UWF) in 2001 to study jazz piano and music. Here he picked up trumpet as well as improving vocal technique.[1]

Inspirations for his career change can be attributed to his father who was also a teacher and wrote the book Jazz in New Orleans - The Postwar Years Through 1970.[3] Suhor has listed some of his musical inspirations as Lou Rawls, Harry Connick Jr, Tony Bennett, Joni Mitchell and Elton John.

Suhor worked as a church musician with the Unitarian Universalist Church of Pensacola then moved to be the soloist and music director for the Unity Church of Pensacola until 2012.[4][5] He also helped in forming an ensemble called the Dixie Shticks and sung with the Pensacola Opera chorus.[6] Other endeavors have included the Jazz Society of Pensacola.

Suhor currently resides in Pensacola, Florida, is a music teacher, jazz musician and also delivers singing telegrams with his company ShamaLamaGram.[7]

Selected Musical Credits
Year Venue / Location Performance Details Citation
2003 Pensacola Public Library Dance in the stacks - David Suhor and the Superlatives [8]
2009 Pensacola multiple events David Suhor and the Unity of Pensacola Soul and Spirit Singers [9][10]
2011 Jazz Extravaganza Benefit Davis Suhor sings at fundraiser [11]
2012 Jazzfest Goes on David Suhor sings at fund raiser [12]
2014 Jazz Gumbo Event Thom Botson Group with David Suhor as special guest vocalist [13]
2014 Album - Snowed in with Winterfest Performed in 5 out of 14 tracks on album [14]
2015 Literary Roundtable Magazine Unveiling Performed in a Jazz Duo with Thom Botsford [15]
Current (2018) Shamalamagram Business providing singing telegrams [16]

Other projects

In 1989 Suhor worked on the interior redesign of the Union Bank in Tallahassee, Florida (The States Oldest Bank)

"We're still doing research on how it might have been inside," Suhor said. "There might have been teller cages at one time That's something we d like to have if we find that to be the case."[17]

Suhor undertook an art project called Homefronts: Pensacola where he photographed homes in the historic East Hill neighbourhood in Pensacola.[18] Following the Deepwater Horizon Gulf oil spill in 2010, protests and boycotting of BP fuel threatened the closure of a local BP branded service station. Suhor dressed as Elvis Presley to raise awareness that the service station was locally owned and that boycotting it was hurting the local economy.[19]

Activism

Suhor has become a prominent local activist in Florida, his areas of advocacy included:

Suhor has used a number of tactics in his activism including founding a chapter of The Satanic Temple in Northwest Florida.[20] Some of the protests that Suhor has been involved in include:

  • 2012 Escambia County Commission, Florida: Suhor used his credentials a Christian musician to be added to the roster to deliver the invocation before the meeting was called to order. The invocation delivered was pantheistic including reference to many deities.[21]
  • 2014 Escambia School Board, Florida:[22] Suhor spoke before the board advocating religious equality for all minority religions. The suggestion put before board was replacing the invocation with a moment of silence.[23]
  • 2015 Okaloosa School Board pre-meeting prayer: Suhor attempted to give the invocation but was drowned out by other attendees singing Christian hymns.[24]

2016 Pensacola City Council July 14:[25] Suhor delivered a Satanic invocation before the opening of the meeting to much contention that included Pensacola Police escorting people out of the building.[26][27] The text of the invocation was originally written by Lucien Greaves, co-founder of The Satanic Temple.[28] Council President Charles Bare gaveled the meeting into session. But as Suhor, in a black hooded robe, prepared to give the invocation, members of the gallery began drowning him out with Christian prayers.[29]

2015-2017 Bayview Park Cross: Suhor, along with other plaintiffs, was represented by American Humanist Association (AHA) in a court action to have the Bayview park cross taken down.[30] In a ruling handed down by U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson the city of Pensacola was given 30 days[31] to remove the cross from the park.

"After about 75 years, the Bayview Cross can no longer stand as a permanent fixture on city-owned property,” Vinson wrote in the ruling. "I am aware that there is a lot of support in Pensacola to keep the cross as is, and I understand and respect that point of view,” said the judge, who was appointed by former President Ronald Reagan. “But, the law is the law.”[32]

Pensacola subsequently appealed that ruling to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals and ultimately to the United States Supreme Court. While the city's petition was pending, the Supreme Court decided American Legion v. American Humanist Association, holding that a 32-foot Latin cross on public land in Bladensburg, Maryland does not violate the Establishment Clause.[33] The Supreme Court then sent the Bayview Park Cross back to the Eleventh Circuit and the decision was reversed.[34] The Court allowed the cross because "[h]aving reconsidered the case in light of American Legion, we conclude, as the Supreme Court did there, that 'the Cross does not offend the Constitution.'"[35]

2017 Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) Headquarters: Suhor was removed from the premises for being disruptive and protesting the inclusion of prayer before the meeting started. Suhor claimed it violated separation of church and state whilst ECUA representatives claimed that this prayer was constitutional.[36][37]

2018 ECUA Headquarters: Suhor was arrested for trespass and passive resistance on 22 February.[38] The arresting officer's reason for the arrest was stated as

I observed RP/Lois Benson advising S/Suhor to please stop disrupting the meeting. ...RP/Benson asked S/Suhor many times to please stop disrupting their meeting by talking over their prayer, and he chose to continue[39]

In April 2019, Suhor was acquitted of the charges of trespassing and resisting arrest at the ECUA Headquarters, saying

I feel good that we won, I feel that it's absolutely ridiculous that it got to this point. I have video proof that [ECUA chairwoman] Lois Benson lied under oath, and she knew it, saw I had the proof and didn't even bother to recant.[40]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "David Suhor Pensacola Jazz Vocals Piano Band". 2008-07-05. Archived from the original on 2008-07-05. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
  2. ↑ "David Anthony Suhor". Suhor Family Genealogy. 8 May 2018.
  3. ↑ Suhor, Charles (2001). Jazz in New Orleans: The Postwar Years Through 1970. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9781461660026.
  4. ↑ "David Suhor Pensacola Jazz Vocals Piano Band". 2013-05-27. Archived from the original on 2013-05-27. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
  5. ↑ "New Thought Music Directors Listing". 26 August 2014. p. 4. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
  6. ↑ "David Suhor Pensacola Jazz Vocals Piano Band". 2009-02-03. Archived from the original on 2009-02-03. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
  7. ↑ ShamaLamaGram (2010-12-11), ABC Channel 3 story, retrieved 2018-05-16
  8. ↑ "Dance in the Stacks at the Library". Pensacola News Journal. 18 March 2003. p. 10. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  9. ↑ "Unity Conference SE 2009". Youtube. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  10. ↑ "Unity Chant Day". Youtube. 7 December 2009. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  11. ↑ Jazz Pensacola (2011-11-01), David Suhor, retrieved 2018-05-15
  12. ↑ Jazz Pensacola (2012-09-10), David Suhor, retrieved 2018-05-15
  13. ↑ Jazz Pensacola (2014-07-01), What's Going On - Infusion, retrieved 2018-05-15
  14. ↑ Gino Rosaria, Snowed in With Winterfest, retrieved 2018-05-15
  15. ↑ "Literary Roundtable unveils first literary magazine". Retrieved 2018-05-16.
  16. ↑ Ross, Rebecca (3 October 2010). "ShamaLamaGram". Pensacola News Journal. p. 46. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  17. ↑ Bryan, David (1989-10-09). "Florida's oldest bank is a neo-classic". Florida Flambeau. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
  18. ↑ "Homefronts: Pensacola Home Art Photos by David Suhor". 2008-08-28. Archived from the original on 2008-08-28. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
  19. ↑ Malik, Naureen (16 June 2010). "Protests Target BP but Hit Independent Dealers". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  20. ↑ "David Suhor - Freedom From Religion Foundation". Retrieved 2018-05-15.
  21. ↑ "Anyone's Invocation - Escambia County Commission Florida, 8/2012". YouTube. 4 June 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  22. ↑ "David Suhor and The Latest Battle Over Prayer | Inweekly". inweekly.net. 5 November 2014. Retrieved 2018-05-15.
  23. ↑ "Escambia School Board open forum comments for M.O.S and or Welcoming Minority Invocations 8 19 14". YouTube. 20 August 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  24. ↑ Watkins, Milton (13 October 2015). "Okaloosa County School Board Meeting Chaos". YouTube. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  25. ↑ Norton, Allie. "Minister from Satanic Temple will deliver invocation on July 14". WEAR. Retrieved 2018-05-15.
  26. ↑ Holley, Peter (2016-07-20). "Why a Satanic Temple member wants to perform rituals before a city council in the Bible Belt". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2018-05-15.
  27. ↑ "Satanist opens city council meeting, and, well, just watch". Washington Post. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
  28. ↑ "David Suhor - Freedom From Religion Foundation". Retrieved 2018-05-15.
  29. ↑ Dunwoody, Dave (2016-07-15). "City Council Invocation Sparks Anger, Preaching". WUWF 88.1 National Public Radio. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
  30. ↑ Gonzalez, David (2017-06-15). "Cross controversy: Judge to decide if 34-foot fixture is unconstitutional". ABC 3 WEAR TV. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
  31. ↑ "Federal judge orders Pensacola to remove Bayview Cross". The Pulse. 2017-06-19. Retrieved 2018-05-15.
  32. ↑ Vinson, Roger (19 June 2017). Case No.: 3:16cv195-RV/CJK Document 41 (PDF). United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida Pensacola Division. p. 21.
  33. ↑ "American Legion v. American Humanist Ass'n". harvardlawreview.org. 8 November 2019. Retrieved 2020-02-19.
  34. ↑ "Kondrat'Yev v. City of Pensacola" (PDF).
  35. ↑ Id.
  36. ↑ Little, Jim (26 August 2017). "ECUA stands behind its right to pray at meeting". Pensacola News Journal. p. A1. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  37. ↑ "WATCH: Satanist Assaulted Trying to Pray Before Public Utilities Meeting | News & Information". usauknews.com. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
  38. ↑ ShamaLamaGram (2018-05-11), ECUA 2 22 2018 illegal trespass arrest before meeting, retrieved 2018-05-15
  39. ↑ Reynoso, Freddy (22 February 2018). "Arrest Report No: ECS018ARR03398". Escambia County Sheriff's Office Arrest Report. p. 2.
  40. ↑ "Pensacola Satanist acquitted of trespassing after praying at ECUA meeting".
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