Pictured left to right: Claude Brown Sr., president, St. Louis City NAACP; Honorees, Drs. R. Jerome Williams, Sr., James M. Whittico, Jr., Bernard C. Randolph, Sr., and Leslie F. Bond, Sr.; Ruth A. Smith, NAACP Executive Committee member. In the background, Mistress of Ceremony Vickie Newton, anchor, News 4-St. Louis.
Honoree Robert Clark, Chairman and CEO of Clayco, (center) receives the Commitment to St. Louis Award from Claude Brown (left) and Ruth A. Smith
Honoree Karen S. Kalish, president of the Estelle W. and Karen S. Kalish Foundation and Executive Director of Cultural Leadership (center) receives the Commitment to St. Louis Award
Attorney Steven N. Cousins, partner, Armstrong Teasdale LLP (center) receives the Commitment to St. Louis Award
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By SHIRLEY A. BROWN
St. Louis Argus Society Writer
Congratulations to the honorees who received the St. Louis NAACP Freedom Fund Dinner Awards at the recently held Pre-Centennial Celebration and Annual Freedom Fund Dinner. The dinner was well attended with more than 700 supporters and the NAACP received many, many accolades for coordinating a wonderful and entertaining evening.
“The NAACP is pleased to present the Lifetime Achievement Awards to four pioneers in medicine,” said St. Louis City president Claude Brown, Sr.” “The achievements of these medical pioneers speaks volumes of their perseverance during a time when all odds were against them. They epitomize the spirit of early pioneer and NAACP leader, W. E. B. DuBois.”
“We also salute Robert Clark, Steven Cousins and Karen Kalish for their career achievements, leadership and commitment to St. Louis,” added Claude Brown, Sr.
Nineteen international visitors from the International Visitor Leadership Program attended the dinner as well as Lt. Governor Peter Kinder, Honorable Michael McMillan, Honorable Lewis Reed, Senator Chris Koster, Alderwoman Marlene Davis, Alderman Samuel Moore, Missouri NAACP President Mary Ratliff, NAACP national board member Harold Crumpton, to name a few.
The St. Louis City NAACP extends gratitude and appreciation to the major sponsors, organizations and individuals who supported the Freedom Fund Dinner. Special thanks to Slay Industries, Clayco, Ameren, Express Scripts, Anheuser-Busch, AT&T, Armstrong Teasdale LLP, BJC HealthCare, Columbia Capital Management, Laclede Gas, Monsanto Fund, Peabody Coal, Mayor Slay, U.S. Bank, Larry Williams, Jr., Agape Academy, Bank of America, Citi, Enterprise-Rent-A-Car, Grey Eagle Distributors, Lively Stone Church of God, Royal Vagabonds Foundation, SSM Health Care, Washington University and Stone, Leyton & Gershman.
Next year, the NAACP will celebrate 100 years of progress.
Nominate a Doer: To keep readers informed on who’s who in the community, Shirley A. Brown’s column will highlight a community “Doer” each week. A “Doer” is an individual or organization committed to making St. Louis a better place to live and work. Readers are invited to send “Doer” recommendations to Ms. Brown. Mail recommendations to Ms. Brown’s attention at the St. Louis Argus or send to sbrown601 @ aol.com.
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Schools Focus On Reading
By Dr. KATIE HARPER WRIGHT
St. Louis Argus Society Writer
One of the many innovative programs that are at the forefront of the superintendency of Dr. Theresa Saunders, East St. Louis School District 189 is the Real Men/Real Women Read Program.
Here the elementary schools host prominent men and women from various professionals and walks of life to interact with students by reading to them in their classrooms. Businesspeople, organizations as well as parents staff these reading sessions.
It is heartwarming to note that reading scores in East St. Louis elementary schools are on the rise because of the hard work of students, teachers, parents and community leaders.
I have been involved in several Real Women and Men Read programs, including those at the Dr. Katie Harper Wright Elementary School, where Judith (judy) Fernando is the principal and where Marquita Chancellor Brown is the librarian. Both of these dedicated professional educators do a fantastic job and are enthusiastic promoters of the Real Read programs at Wright School.
Mrs. Brown, a second generation educator, is shown here in a Dr. Wright photo with her husband David W. Brown, Jr. (he, too, is a Real Men Read volunteer).
Some other outstanding men who participated in the October 15, 2008 Read Program were: John Santiago Johnathan Barnes, Xavier Blackburn, Dr. George Rausch (was responsible for Wright School receiving a Dr. Ben Carson grant for books). Fred Hamilton, Henry Graham, Gerald Wyatt, Homer Simmons, Captain Charles Welch, Chris Harris and Lt. Kelvin Ellis.
Gateway Chapter of the Links, Incorporated will be among the Real Women Read program participants on November 19, 2008. Virginia Jordan, chair of the chapter National Trends facet, is chairing this event. Bessie Peabody is chapter president.
KATIE-SAID: It’s the eve of the November 4, 2008 election as I type this article...my mind is on Senator Barack Obama, hoping and praying that he will be the 44th president of the United States. I have done some work on his behalf...and have written pieces on his behalf for the BELLEVILLE NEWS--DEMOCRAT and the STL POST-DISPATGH newspapers as well as for the STL ARGUS.
I extend sympathy to Senator Obama and his family on the death of his grandmother who helped raise him to help make him the extraordinary, remarkable man that he is today.
May God Bless the Obama Family and may God Bless America. By the time ARGUS read this article...God willing, Senator Barack Obama will be President Obama and his elegant wife MIchelle Obama will be the nation’s First Lady. |
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