Coming on the heels of the election
of the nation's first Black president, this year's graduation ceremony for the
United Way's African American Leadership Program had an even more special meaning
for all involved.
"These
leaders can aspire to do and be anything that they want and know that it is obtainable
and not just right beyond their grasp. They now have a role model (Barack Obama)
to look up to," explained one attendee, adding. The sense of accomplishment
and pride this evening was overwhelming and well deserved.
The
programs mission is to identify, train and place local African Americans on the
boards of community organizations. During the ceremony, last Wednesday, 39 African
Americans received certificates and most are already involved in volunteer work
for local non profit groups.
The
ceremony included the recognition of a long time Rochester community activist,
Constance Mitchell. She was honored with the Howard Wilson Coles Society Community
Service Award. Mitchell was the first African-American woman elected to a public
office in Rochester in 1961. As a county legislator, she held the highest public
office of all African-American women in the United States at the time. From 1964-1989
she started an outreach program that led to the first citizen-controlled block
clubs, managed job development and training programs for minorities, and directed
an innovative program to interest students in science and math. She retired from
the Industrial Management Council in 1989. She told the new AALDP graduates they
are the beginning of a new era in America.
For
more information about AALDP, visit the United Way of Greater Rochester's website
at www.uwrochester.org and click on the "Developing Future Leaders"
link or call Rodney Allen Young at (585) 242-6556.
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Row
1: Avis Williams, Eltrex Industries; Beryl Wilson, V. Weis Construction Solutions;
Bridgette Jones-Waters, Wilson Commencement Park; Calvin Eaton, University of
Rochester; Candice Lucas, Empire Justice Center
Row
2: Carolyn Coney-Johnson, University of Rochester; Cassandra Edmonds-Kelley, Action
for a Better Community; Christina Christman, HSBC; Collette Noel, University of
Rochester; Deborah Manns, Rochester City School District
Row
3: Dianne Snowden-Johnson, Rochester City School District; Everton Sewell, Eastman
Kodak Company; Herman McKinney, Highland Hospital; Horace Little, Highland Hospital;
James Hawkins, City of Rochester
Row
4: Janie Anderson, Excellus BCBS; Kenny Baptiste, Eastman Kodak; LaRhonda Leonard,
Excellus BCBS; LaTanya Sinclair, Eastman Kodak; Linda Morris, University of Rochester
Row
5: Lionel King-Lynch, Primerica; Mark Simmons, Rochester Police Department; Marquita
Smith, Excellus BCBS; Monique Adams, Frontier Communications; Phyllis Moss, The
Salvation Army
Row 6:
Ponnella Kittles, Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield; Radiah Drayton-Scott, Unity
Health System; Richard Anderson, Lifetime Assistance; Roshawn Cole, Rochester
Gas and Electric; Sandra Brannigan, Birds Eye Foods
Row
7: Sharon Jones, Birds Eye Foods; Shawanda Brown, Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection;
Tanya Davis, Birds Eye Foods; Tanya Poyser, Rochester City School District; Tiffiney
Taylor, Epilepsy Foundation
Row
8: Walter Larkin, Jr.,Rochester City School District; Wanda Snow, Rochester Childfirst
Network; Wayne Alexander, Eastman Kodak; Winona Dixon Greater Rochester Enterprise
