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Medgar Evers College
Legacy Awards 2004
Oct 7, 2004
Marriott at Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn, NY
 The 4th Annual Legacy Awards was a great event. It started of with a wonderful cocktail reception, where we had the pleasure of meeting the different VIP’s and honorees for the evening. There was a nice array of fruits, cheeses and gourmet crackers to whet our appetites. I, myself had the pleasure of meeting with some of the honorees, like Frank Comerford, the CEO and General Manager of NBC, News Channel 4. I also met one of the donors, Ms. Alethia Whiteloke, who was one of the distinguished Alumni Awardees. Unfortunately, two of the honorees, Mr. Lenny Wilkens and Mr. Stephon Marbury, were unable to attend due to their schedules, but left their regards via a nice videotape presentation, for everyone in the audience to hear later on during the gala.
After the VIP reception, everyone moved into the ballroom, for the gala itself. The ballroom was set up beautifully. The audience then had the pleasure of listening to John Esposito, the head Chair of the gala for the evening, give a warm welcome to the audience, and then introduced the Master of Ceremonies, Mr. David Ushery, and the Mistress of Ceremonies, Ms. Pat Battle, both from NBC News Channel 4.
The audience then heard a beautiful solo presentation of America the Beautiful, in tribute to late Ray Charles, which was then followed by a beautiful choir presentation of “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Everyone in the audience applauded. Ms. Battle and Mr. Ushery then proceeded to introduce the President of Medgar Evers College, Mr. Edison O. Jackson, who then give a few words about the college’s theme for this year—“Breaking New Ground, and Building for the future.”
Dr. Jackson welcomed the audience to the event, and spoke about the Medgar Evers theme in more detail. The college is in the process of constructing a new academic building—Academic Building 1. This massive project will include classrooms, computer labs, faculty offices, teaching laboratories, a 350-seat multi-purpose dining facility, and a space for faculty research. After construction is completed, this massive facility will double the existing academic teaching capacity of Medgar Evers College. This new facility will also house the School of Science, Health and Technology in its top floor. The design of the building will cluster the offices of related departments nearby each other, and will allow for light-filled hallways, thereby encouraging better interaction between MEC’s students and its faculty.
Everyone had a wonderful time as each of the honorees that were present came up to the stage to accepted their awards. This year’s honorees were Mr. Frank Comerford, NBC’s CEO and General Manager, who received a Legacy Award, Cal Ramsey, former pro basketball player, who received a Legacy Award and who also spoke on behalf of the two absentee honorees, Lenny Wilkens, Head Coach for the NY Knicks, and Stephon Marbury, pro basketball player, each of who received Legacy Awards; the Honorable NYS Senator Carl Andrews, who received the Presidential Alumni Award, and alumni Carol DeCosta, Alethia Whiteloke and Walter Smith, each of who received Distinguished Alumni Awards.
The building uses state-of-the-art technology, which incorporate multi-media technology and allows for distance learning. Some of the exciting details about the building include: five computer labs with raised access flooring and over 168 student workstations. 24 classrooms with seating capacities of 35-100, and animal facility and environmental testing lab, faculty offices to accommodate over 130 full-time or part-time faculty, Teaching laboratories for the Biology, Nursing, Physical, Environmental and Computer Science departments. There will even be TV Production and Radio Studios, two control rooms and plenty of storage space.
In telling about the new facility that is being added to the Medgar Evers College Campus, Dr. Edison O. Jackson made a number of comments, including the college’s proud celebration of the approval of the its new academic building’s preliminary design by the CUNY Board of Trustees. It is expected that the new facility will increase enrollment, over the next three and a half years, by over 2,300 students. Medgar Evers College is also proudly celebrating the 30 years over which it has been of service to the residents of central Brooklyn. The gross square footage of the new facility will be an estimated 195,000 square feet, which is to be located along Crown Street, opposite the College’s Bedford Building, and which represents the first implementation phase of the amended College Master Plan, which was approved in 1995. Dr. Jackson concluded with a look back at the success that Medgar Evers College has had over the last 30 years, and a look ahead to a bright future, of 30 more years, which Dr. Jackson views particularly optimistically because of the new facility.
Mr Fred Price, the dean of Medgar Evers College, also spoke to the audience. This event featured a silent auction, where some really nice prices went on the auction block, including a beautiful basket of cheers called “That’s the Spirit.”, which was furnished by Schieffelin & Co Importers. It included a bottle of Grand Marnier Cuvee Du Centenaire: (A special edition Grand Marnier created in 1927), Tenuta Greppone Mazzi Wine Brunello Di Montalcino:, An aromatic wine with notes of cherry, red fruit, and red current jam accompanied by cocoa, cloves and dried figs with a touch of rosemary and laurel. Modus Toscana, a deep ruby red wine with garnet hues that is complex and inviting, and more. The opening bid for the item was $2,000. Another of the silent auction prizes included art by Danny Simmons, brother of Russell Simmons, the brother of the famed music artist Russell Simmons. The art piece was entitled “Shut Up, I’m Tryin’ 2 Tell you Somethin.” who’s value opened the starting bid at $2,500.
The event was cohosted by the Medgar Every College Alumni Association, Medgar Every College Community, Council, Medgar Every College Educational Foundation, Inc., and the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CACCI).
The music was furnished by the Versitiles, and the NBC Orchestra, with additional entertainment by the TONY Award winning Jennifer Holiday, and the fiddling duo Nuttin’ but Stringz. The dinner was delicious, and the dancing after the ceremony was complete livened up the festivities of the entire event.
Medgar Wiley Evers, a.k.a. "The Man in Mississippi," was (and his legacy still is) a highly influential, figure in the American Civil Rights Movement. The third of four children born to James and Jessie Evers, Medgar Evers home in Decatur, MI, he left after the attack on Pearl Harbor to fight for freedom halfway around the world, but soon realized that the real fight wasn't between nations, but within one segregated nation known in the early forty's as "America", a land which had embraced "white supremacy" to the extend where it had disillusioned Medgar Evers to the point where he determined that action needed to be taken. He later achieved his Bachelor's degree in 1952. Being acutely aware of the need to continue the struggle, Evers became an important member of the NAACP in Jackson, Mississippi. He spent the remainder of his life exposing unjust practices by organizing peaceful protests, economic boycotts, political sit-ins, and voter registration drives. Evers was elected as first Field Secretary of the NAACP, and proceeded to go on a mission of unifying the divided voices of equality. He even fought racially unjust admission practices sat at Universities like University of Mississippi. On June 12, 1963, "The Man in Mississippi"--the voice of so many disenfranchised Americans was silenced, although his legacy has long lived on as a result of his wife, Myrlie taking over in the movement against racial injustice.
We would like to thank Mr. Fred Price, Dean of Medgar Evers College, for his kind invitation to Liberty News Online Magazine to cover this wonderful event. Anyone interested in learning more about Medgar Evers College may visit their website at www.mec.cuny.edu.
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.) |
