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ACORN 22 Year Celebration

May 26, 2004

Chase Manhattan Plaza, NY, NY

The people united will never be defeated. That’s the motto for this organization who’s mission is to promote equality for minority groups—a mission that is fervently pursuit through budgetary and legislative strategies. Over the years, ACORN has successfully influenced the passing of numerous laws protecting the minority population against everything from predatory lending to health hazards such as lead paint peeling from apartment walls.

On May 26, 2004, ACORN celebrated 22 years of serving the minority community, and honored those who have gone the extra mile for the cause of equality among all.

Several people were honored that night. The first of whom was Steven Flax, VP of Community Development of M&T Bank. Steve’s accomplishments include founding of the Neighborhood Opportunities Fund, a ten million dollar funding collaborative. Among his accomplishments, Steve is also an actively involved advisory board member of the Bedford-Stuyvesant based Concerned Cultural Women’s Collective. Among Steve’s credentials are a Masters Degree in City and Regional Planning from Pratt Institute, a graduate degree from Pennsylvania State University, and a certificate in political economy from the University of Nairobi.

The next individual to be honored was Bob Master, Legislative and Political Director and eighteen-year member for District One of the Communications Workers of America. Bob’s career began as a researcher, and his responsibilities have since expanded to include organizing membership involvement in contract campaigns, as well as all aspects of political action for the union, including major responsibility for CWA’s contract campaigns at Verizon (25,000 workers) and CWA’s New Jersey State Worker bargaining unit (34,000 workers). Bob’s other endeavors involve Amalgamated Clothering and Textile Workers Union (1977), and winning of the ALF-CIO’s Max Steinbock Award for Humanistic Spirit in Journalism.

After Bob Master, the following honoree was Cynthia Nixon was the next person to be honored. Ms. Nixon has served as a spokesperson for the statewide organization the Alliance for Quality Education, a coalition of over 220 organizations of which ACORN is a founding partner. Cynthia’s accomplishments extend well beyond her role as Mirinda Hobbes, an attorney in HBO’s “Sex and the City”, even beyond all of her Broadway and other roles in film. Cynthia is actively involved in the rigorous fight to improve New York City’s public schools. Cynthia’s first involvement in her work was as a parent leader against large budget cuts resulting from New York City’s 2001 public school funding crisis, where she spoke at a press event about the dangers of funding cutbacks. Cynthia’s has become one of the hardest working leaders through her attendances of press events, meetings, rallies, marches and what-not, even her enduring arrest for her having spoken out against cutbacks two years ago.

The final honoree for the evening was Dwight Loines. Mr. Loines is a Bachelor’s degree graduate from SUNY Stonybrook and holds a Juris Doctor degree from Hofstra University Law School. He is currently a practicing attorney for the State of New York. The focus of Ms. Loines practice involves Housing Court litigation, Family Court cases as well as pursuing claims against Government agencies. Among the numerous capacities in which Dwight had functioned are active member of the National Organization of Legal Service Workers, President of the NYC based bargaining unit, Financial Secretary of NOLSW, and, later on, President of NOLSW. He is also accredited with the chartering of the NOLSW under United Auto Workers (UAW) as amalgamated UAW Local Union 2520. Mr. Loines rigorously fought the intense proposals of Ronald Reagan and Mr. Gingrich to deprive the poor of access to legal services and the ability to file class action lawsuits in their protection against predatory practices of numerous public entities. He also fought against inadequate representation of immigrants and farm workers. Dwight was an organizer for the union, and as such, successfully organized hundreds of workers in the “right-to-work” states of Florida, Mississippi, Georgia, and Texas as well as in Maryland, Washington D.C., Oregon and New York. He then successfully bargained contracts for those workers. He also conducted numerous arbitrations and litigated the national Labor Relations Board, leading strikes in New York City and Chicago.

This was a great event, one which served a meaningful purpose—to give recognition to those who fight on behalf of the Nation’s less fortunate population.

We at Liberty News Magazine would like to thank Bertha Lewis, Executive Director for ACORN, for inviting us to attend and cover this event.

Gloria Waldron was born and educated in Trinidad and Tobago, where she owned and operated an architectural and construction firm. Her clients included Central Bank and the Trinidad and Tobago Electric Company. Ms. Waldron was also a political activist and was closely Connected to the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, the Honorable Patrick Manning. Gloria continued her fight for low and middle-income families by joining (ACORN) The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, as a volunteer. She was elected President of ACORN in July, 2004, and is now serving the final three months of her second Presidential term. In her capacity of President, Gloria testified in Congress and the White House and in the City Council on predatory lending, and lobbied in Albany on issues like Living Wage. She represented the less fortunate in the fight against Public School privatization, and in the fight for affordable housing Her present fight is for Immigrant Rights—green card holders being able to vote in elections. Gloria is also a cabinet member for the business networking organization, the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CACCI). Ms. Waldron was published in Newsweek and in American City for having designed and asphalt plant with Underground Utilities. She also designed several other buildings and single family homes in the U.S. She held the position of secretary for Within Reach, where she helped drug-addicted parents cope with the loss of their children to child welfare, counsels high school children, parents in shelters and gives clothing to shelters. Gloria is presently the Assistant Superintendent at the Flatbush Caton Merchant Mart in Brooklyn.

Abbey H. Muneer is the Executive Director of H.A.D. Organization of New York City, Inc., a world-famous athlete, author and, above all, a humanitarian. Abbey will write articles about charity events, benefits, fundraisers and galas which are raising money for humantiarian causes. If you are interested in having Abbey and one his staff members cover one of your charity events, benefits, fundraisers or galas, feel free to notify us one week in advance, at LNEvents@hadofnyc.org, or telephone us at (718) 507-7616, between the hours of 8:00am and 8:00pm e.s.t. and ask to speak to Abbey or Maria. If you would like more information, or would like to have Liberty News Online Magazine consult your next charitable event, please feel free to visit our website, at http://www.hadofnyc.org/store/success.html, email us at humanitarians@hadofnyc.org, or telephone our hotline, at (718) 507-7616, between the hours of 8:00am and 8:00pm e.s.t. (U.S.A.)