 You may be seated. Good afternoon and welcome to the ninth annual Unsung Heroes Awards. My name is Linda Brooks-Burden and I'm the branch manager at the Bayview-Wadden Library in Bayview Hunters Point and it is my pleasure to introduce our master of ceremonies for the afternoon. For 49 years, Dr. Arthur Coleman has been practicing family medicine in Bayview Hunters Point. He has been politically, socially, economically active in this community for the same number of years. Along with his wife, Dr. Coleman co-chaired the African American Affinity Group, which raised nearly $600,000 for the African American Center here at the New Main Library. Dr. Coleman has been a hero in our community for many, many years. How appropriate it is to have him help us recognize our Unsung Heroes here today. Please help me welcome Dr. Arthur Coleman. Thank you very much Linda and good afternoon to everyone. It's a real privilege and pleasure for me to serve as your master of ceremonies this afternoon and I say that for several reasons. First of all, as I understand it, and this is a, this affair today is a joint effort between Western Edition Ocean View and Bayview Hunters Point and I think that's so important that the library branches are coming together and Unison put on this affair today. The second reason why I'm so happy and feel so glad that you're here is that I hope each and every one of you, if you have not, will avail yourselves of the opportunity to see the African American Center on the third floor. It's a beautiful part of this building and this building itself is beautiful and I think you will be very proud of our representation in this part of the library. What I would like to do first before making a presentation of awards is you have another selection from that young and gifted choir. We enjoyed that first one, I'm sure everyone did and I know they will give us great spirit and great uplift in their next song. Wonderful way to start our program, young and gifted. So much needed. We're going to take a program a little out of order in terms of the awardees and so when I call the awardees the name, will that person please start coming forward and that will save a little time. First we're going to have Hazel L. King. Mrs. King was born in Arkansas but moved to California with her husband in 1951. As a mother of six children, she became active in the old Bayview School PTA. Mrs. King was instrumental in the building of the school now known as Charles Drew Elementary. In 1959 she became a member of the Bayview Hunters Point Coalition Parent Action Group that aggressively pursues matters in the community that relates to the welfare of the child. During the late 60s while helping her brother in his store, Mrs. King became cognizant of the problems people had of not being aware of the services available to support their needs. Through research, she became involved with the Economic Opportunities Council known as the EOC and has been actively involved in distributing food through the Senior Food Program. At the same time she works distributing food for anyone in need in a program called Temporary Food Assistance. In 1980 she assisted in forming the Bayview Hunters Point Democratic Club to address issues and needs in the community. She has been president since 1995 in that organization. Mrs. King actively worked to help elect Willie Brown and increase voter registration in the Bayview Hunters Point community. The Democratic Club awards numerous scholarships every year to students of all ethnic origins. Mrs. King is a board member of the San Francisco Neighborhood Legal Foundation, an organization that gives free legal assistance to all. Since 1985 Mrs. King has taught a senior citizen exercise class at the Bayview Hunters Point Multicultural Senior Center and since 1951 she has been a member of the Friendship Baptist Church in South San Francisco. Mrs. King is truly an unsung hero who deserves recognition for years of devotion and hard work for the members of our community. Mrs. King. I'd just like to say I'd just like to thank the committee for choosing me. A lot of things that you know you're doing in communities you don't realize people are noticing you just start just going so much until you think you know it's just a part of life. But then there's someone watching and I'm glad that someone actually saw me because sometimes you think that no one see all the things that you do but I also like to thank the women's that set this up and providing refreshments and stuff and really thinking about all of us and I just appreciate this to the highest and those that just really looked over and out in the community and see so many needs and I think the world would be much better if we all would just take a look around and there is something that you can do also just don't always point the finger get out there there's plenty plenty to be done especially now that we having this welfare reform it's going to take all of us to try to make it work so get on your job and join us thank you the next awarding Eric Dupree could not be with us today because he's ill but he's being well represented by of course his mother Ella Price and by a nephew Carlton Dupree they please come forward Eric Dupree is spearheading the lead of a 40-year-old institution into the 21st century he is an activist at heart a consultant by trade and an administrator in practice he has paved the way for young people and technological innovators to take the African-American historical and cultural society and all people to the next level and beyond Eric also honors the elders the pioneers who have paved the way before him and continue to lead us all Eric educates and motivates everyone who enters the historical society through his inspirational tours highlighting artifacts and relating shared experiences that tell the true story of a people he also goes out to visit senior senior centers schools organizations and individuals to speak read poetry provide historical information give walking tours and to document events and experiences on videotape one visit with Eric leads to a spirited work relationship that extends be throughout the community he brings together educators artists and young people and others to share their resources skills and talents to produce events and more he is a communicator a networker and an organizer who leaves no door closed and who strives to open access and maximum activity and opportunity in 1997 alone he has guided the career of a young singer songwriter who has been featured on the radio and in African-American history month events he has produced a historic and innovative multimedia conference honoring innovators and pioneers he has brought new members to an institution and is working on a 1998 national preservation conference he trains young people to open their books after school and to do their homework motivates them to write and read their poetry and trains them and how to use a video camera and to conduct interviews as one young person said in her nominating Eric quote makes us known in our communities so that we will all be more interested in doing things throughout our communities he builds lives institutions and communities close quote let us recognize that huntsung hero through his representative his mother and nephew good evening stage fright good afternoon Carlton and I are here to accept this award on Eric's behalf Eric is home with the flu he has a very bad case of the flu but in his absence we'd like to say thank you for honoring Eric with this award thank you very much the third awardee and we'll break after this one for some more entertainment also is not with us today but I believe we have a substitute yes and that's the awardee is Shirley Jones and the person who's representative would please come forward I've had the pleasure of knowing Shirley for at least I would say 30 years I don't want to date her but I know it's been at least that long well since I've been in the community 49 years I still leaves her as a young person she's lived in San Francisco for most of her life and in the Bayview Hunters Point for over 20 years she's a mother of five daughters grandmother of six she has been the executive director of Kheed the California Association of Health Education Employment and Dignity for 26 years and is the epitome of community activism before Kheed became a nonprofit in 1978 it was known as the San Francisco welfare rights organization besides advocating for women on AFDC this organization handled and distributed up to 12 million dollars in food stamps when no one else would since then Miss Jones as the executive director has been involved in the development and implementation of numerous projects and programs which serve the needs of the Southeast community and she is an expert in community health care services aimed at addressing the needs of minority communities she's been active in the Bayview Hunters Point area as I said for many years and is one of our most respected leaders she presently is the chairperson of the Bayview Hunters Point Shipyard Advisory Committee many of you may know to know that the shipyard of course is being turned over to San Francisco and Shirley wants to make sure and that the African-American community is well represented and the development of whatever development that takes place in that area and so she's been put countless hours and much work and watching over the changes taking place at the shipyard she's also president of the board of directors of the young community developers she's on the board of directors of the Bayview Hunters Point community defenders and she's a member of the National Association of Community Health Centers Enterprise Council just to name a few currently she is a key he does a lead agency for the Southeast family support network a collaborative made up of 14 agencies that service the Southeast community the network has just been awarded a community challenge grant in excess of $600,000 to implement teen pregnancy prevention programs under our guidance the organization has survived in a time when the access fall in as we know on many social programs as a result of the conservative Congress we have so in my opinion and I hope you will share with the committee and it's your opinion also that she is truly an unsung hero good afternoon everyone on behalf of Shirley Jones and her family I'd like to thank all of you and the San Francisco library for this honor thank you I think we will go back to the program and if you notice we have a dance and drum troop at a gun Cypher Gola cap era good afternoon I'm Terry Baruti and I'm the director of Arigun Sipu and Gola cup with a dance troupe today we have a special guest to bless this program since we're bridging the gap of African history we have one of our ancestors from the Congo who is my instructor my drum instructor and our dance instructor and he's a master drummer master senior and master choreographer the former director of the Congolese National Ballet I want to introduce to you master Sandoor jeep a kawaisi from the Congo so that we can hear some of our traditional music right from the root of the tree not from the leaves right from the root fresh out the soil so we hope that you're gonna enjoy what you're about to see and what you're about to hear and it's very important that we understand the connection of our ancestry I consider myself not only an African-American but a new world African because they kidnapped our ancestors out of the old world brought us over here to a new world so what we are a new world African that means you can be anything Cuban Puerto Rican Jamaican Chicago Cleveland from Canada with new world Africans thank you next awardee Galon Logan jr someone rep you okay Mr. Logan has resided in the baby hunters point for almost for most of his 32 years from his experience as a youth years of being a single parent and close to eight years of working in and around the San Francisco unified school district as an advisor his organization called infusion one was created was founded in 1994 and it's a non-profit community-based volunteer organization whose mission is to empower at-risk youth living in the southeast section of San Francisco through programs and community forums and infusion one seeks to stimulate dialogue and develop activities that promote positive change in the lives of youth and their families infusion one current programs include one life skills in America an elementary and middle school program that is founded on the basic principles of responsibility respect and reality second academic and athletic olympics a seasonal event for elementary school children that offers a fun way to learn the virtues of being a balanced individual by combining academics and athletic competitions three youth speakers bureau a program which provides intensive public speaking and leadership training for youth ages 11 to 20 besides being a single father of three galon is also a member of simba an african-american male mentoring program and a co-facilitator of a proactive father's group at bernette elementary school as a member of the southeast community collaborative uh galon will be taking on the responsibility of forming the bayview hunters point youth council which will be part participating in the citywide youth empowerment conference put on by the mayor in may he is a true advocate and a true unsung hero for our youth who has dedicated his time and efforts to raising their self-esteem and broadening their horizons for a young man in a black male he is ready to be rewarded i'm nervous as hell excuse me i just want to start first off by giving thanks to my creating um and secondly for all of the elders who are currently present and not present um there were so many things that i wanted to say this afternoon but i'm gonna stick with just a couple uh first of all this is a unsung hero award and i just want to share with all of you that there's been a song being sung in my heart which continues to sing loud which is both peaceful and also angry which has guided me to do what i do um last night i went and saw a movie called rose bloom or rose rosewood thank you very much i might not have the title right but i got the content of the movie and it was uh it was something that i didn't want to it was one of those kind of movies that you don't like to see but you have to see um i just want to end by asking if you all would indulge me uh infusion one is based on three principles which are respect responsibility and reality those are three things that seem to be missing to a large degree in our society today but are also missing very much so on our youth today i would like to ask if you would join in with me we have a pledge which is a life's pledge if you all would join me in reciting that is that all right it starts out like this i will always strive to respect myself others and my environment i understand that respect is brother to responsibility and that i must continuously take responsibility responsibility for my thoughts actions successes successes and failures i understand that brother cannot and will not exist without sister reality i understand that i must always base my life choices on nothing other than what is real not fantasy or make believe now i make this pledge i make this pledge for no other person other than me myself and i for the purpose of achieving great harmony and success and love for myself and others thank you the next award is susie lucas she will come forward she is the ocean view engleside district's unofficial scribe a low-profile activist who puts her excellent writing skills at the service of the people of the community a retired federal employee a mother of eight grandmother of 13 great grandmother of nine and mrs lucas still works she still works part time as a medical secretary after hours she somehow finds time to write and edit the newsletter of the ocean engleside lions club serves as secretary of the bay area service league volunteers with omi pilgrim senior center omi neighbors in action senior action network big brothers big sisters of san francisco christmas in april and the list goes on what makes mrs lucas really unique though is her unofficial unsung role as letter writer and scribe for the community people tell me the story and i put it in a letter form she makes it sound so easy but mrs lucas has put in countless hours helping community members and they're dealing with city officials and departments family and social services civil and criminal courts she has helped neighborhood activists publicized and organized by writing those vital letters to news organizations churches activist groups and business leaders beyond this she has given freely of her time to serve as advocate and go between in personal matters writing the letters of reference and character that help young people gain interest to the college of their choice or land them the land that job or just writing the letters that smooth people's dealing with stores banks the electric company etc the community comes to susie lucas with problems and concerns large and small trusting her quote put it in writing close quote providing them with a strong clear voice when they might otherwise go unheard susie lucas is a true unsung hero well first i want to thank you but i wanted to tell dr colman i was a little bit upset the way he called his honorees making me put a fourth or fifth in line because that means i have to stand in the shadow of all these beautiful dancers and all these people have done so much my goodness i mean true activists and i just felt that what i do as they say i'm a low-key person and i've been in the ocean english side since 1960 and i've always been a part of everything that goes on you can believe i will be a part of it you know but what i need to say today everybody has a gift everybody in this room has a gift that they can do and thankfully i am able to write good letters and today communication if you have to be able to write a letter because you cannot take care of business on the phone because you can't get to anybody on the phone now by the time you go through the press one two and three and i'm sorry all of our operators are busy and this that and the other if you have a complaint with someone or anything you want to say you've almost forgotten what you wanted to say because you've been on the phone so long so this is the reason why to be able to write letters for people who have problems or we always write letters about problems so this is where i really am able to help my community and in other ways too but i really do love somebody says susie i need a letter or i can be somewhere where things aren't quite right in the store luckies anything and i say uh i think i feel a letter coming on we have to do something about this you know so i just like miss king said a lot of time to do things that people don't even pay any attention to and that's the position i find myself in so i'm really very honored to be able to be a part of this today and receive this award thank you the next honoree is uh el norah maybond miss maybond is a dedicated volunteer on behalf of homeless people and others who find themselves in need she has been an active member of pleasant hill baptist church for 50 years and currently serves on the board of directors of the united council of human services for 10 years he served as a foster grandparent visiting seriously ill children at san francisco general hospital every Saturday evening you will find el norah maybond in the tenderloin district serving dinner to homeless people at hospitality house during the week she catches the bus to deliver books to homeless shelters somewhere in between these activities she finds time to act as clothing distributing distribution manager for the united council of human services providing free clothing to those in need on pacific islands as well as here at home in the words of her friends and fellow volunteers el norah maybond is a 73 year old with the energy of a 30 year old a tower of strength all who know her agree that she is one of the true unsung heroes of san francisco i begin to guard and to each one as president to dr. colman no end to my gratitude for this award i enjoy my work i believe it's my calling i see so much suffering among the homeless people so i just keep on going going going thank you i believe at this time we have a 10 minute intermission you stand stretch your legs you have to make a pit stop stop it's right around the corner uh just don't be too long let's get back so we can get started within 10 minutes please how to recognize you guys ready to tell them let's go truly been an inspirational day at least for me oh our next uh honoree is um dr. martha mack henry she gave service in public education as a teacher and counselor in the elementary middle and high schools of san francisco for almost 40 years monumental 40 years of raising the minds hearts and souls of young people she began her teaching career in austin texas at the elementary school she attended as a child after moving to san francisco she continued to teach in the elementary division she also served as a counselor and summer school administrator for special classes a counselor on a team for middle schools and an educational counselor for a high school in san francisco she earned a bachelor's degree from toteson college in austin and a master's degree from san francisco state university she received a cultural doctorate in literature from world university in 1999 and 1990 she continues to raise a little head of myself there she continues to raise the minds and hearts of us all as the coordinator of the bimonthly open poetry readings the annual african-american history month poetry a festival and the youth poetry readings for the african-american historical and cultural society she found that this program which is now in its fifth year poets and would be poets all have an opportunity to read in the words of nominator elwes mckinney johnson quote dr mchenry has given generously of her talents her time and her personal funds to establish in the poetry readings a positive community resource that is already a tradition wherein she consistently reminds participants no profanity please end of quote she is the author of three books golden books book of poems living poems in today and time to read short stories for young people she has been described as a superior poet she's also a dedicated member of third baptist church zeta five beta sorority and the national council of negro women she attends meetings and produces events year-round but still finds time to travel to literary and other conferences to bring us even more education and inspiration let us raise up in celebration to honor this mind heart and soul razor dr martha mckinney unsung hero thank you also thank you to the persons on the committee that accepted me for this award thank you to those who submitted my name i am uh in we are beginning our fifth year as the uh coordinator i was a founder of the organization as i started to say that before when it didn't and now we are beginning our fifth year as the coordinator we give this program by monthly it's a community project we reach out in the community we invite people anyone who writes poetry uh many people who read their poetry published authors but not all of them if you'd like to write to read your poetry you may come we only have one standard rule no profanity we are there from seven to nine it's a program that we want everyone to come and really enjoy and participate poetry makes a contribution to human understanding which creates a better world for all of us and let us look into poetry more and please let us let the little children also learn to read and write poetry on them ever since we've had this program the month of may has been dedicated to young children to that's our youth night program so may 8th i think it is the 13th whatever the second thursday is at seven o'clock bring all of your little children to uh 762 Fulton street and let them read their their poetry or listen to others if they listen to others they will also be motivated to read so i thank you for this opportunity the next award is will reno it will come forward it's a name everyone in the ocean view engleside community recognizes a community businessman activist humanitarian and friend reno came to san francisco in 1959 after he was honorably discharged from the navy he settled in the ocean view engleside area in 1960 and opened reno's community barbershop in 1967 the barbershop today is a clearing house for community concerns he immerses himself in the community and takes a leadership role in the solution of its problems he is responsible for obtaining refuse containers on broad street and bus stop shelters in the omi area he works with southwestern neighborhood improvement group called snag co-founded in 1976 in the omi lions club organized in 1985 these groups provide thanksgiving dinner for senior citizens a toy giveaway at christmas and easter egg hunt and annual trips for underprivileged neighborhood kids to raging waters great america and the center cruise boardwalk he serves as a role model and mentor to african-american children and youth from female headed households his involvement in these children's lives frequently deters poor performance and an abandonment of academic pursuits whenever he is needed he lends a helping hand frequently reaching into his own pocket and given of his personal resources when crisis strikes the native community the first question asked is does reno know about it a child has not been fed see reno a mother for hundreds of reasons does not have all the rent money and is threatened with eviction see reno government and the vast demarc bureaucracy is wielding the big stick of authority there is a community meeting to see what can be done about it count on reno to be there leading the discussion fully exploring the possibilities advising swapping ideas within the group calling just the right person to get their take on the situation his devotion and commitment to building and strengthening the community and its people are unconditional and ongoing we can never repay his kind of service we can only honor him and we do so today as an unsung hero mr reno thank you very much and i am surprised and honored to receive this award i have done quite a lot of work throughout the communities and throughout all the communities very few hundreds of points and a few more every but i've done most of my work in the ingleside area i'd like to thank everyone here who has supported me and wrote my name in to receive this award i actually received this award for the ocean ingleside community because without them uh it wouldn't i wouldn't be here accepting this award uh the ocean ingleside lines club which says that's there uh mr robson who told me he couldn't make it today because he uh had to babysit god knows he made it thank you mr robson Naomi Williams who is the coordinator and planner to uh help me with the trips that we take to santa cruz great america and the likes with all the kids 160 kids per per uh trip uh her and her mothers here and i thank them both i thank everyone in here to uh who is here to provide and help community needs as they see fit thank you very very much at this point we will be entertained by the uh dance and drum troop i believe they're ready good evening again now this is second half of uh adigone seafoods production uh what we're going to do now is another dance number from the conga lee set and the dance is choreographed by mrs lorraine bowser brooty who works in the bayview community at gloria davis and uh maybe gloria davis school might take in consideration to use uh some of the people that are in the community to teach our children in their own community that would be kind of nice uh it would also be kind of nice for a little support for adigone seafood who's been in the bayview uh district for the number of years and have been existing for 12 years so we are there and we're waiting for you to bring your children and waiting for you to show up yourself uh and maybe if we utilize some of our own community assets uh we'll have a little more going so we appreciate the opportunity to be here and to join our spirit please have a good time uh enjoy the dance and the music we'll be showing you some cupwood angola which is a rite to passage dance that come from the same band two people that originated the conga lee style dance that we do and it was a dance to initiate the young men who were picked by their elders to set into manhood they were females who were picked by their elders to step into womanhood and they would do a separate dance and the young men would do a dance called ungulu and ungulu means zebra dance which was reminiscent of the zebras when the males fight for dominance during mating season so the band two people took elements of that dance and made it into a rite to passage dance uh because in that society you just didn't marry because you wanted to uh you had to first be groomed and picked by your elders and that means if you were a young man it wasn't your father because your father could be prejudiced and say that he feels you're ready simply because uh you are his son so it had to be one of his elders either his father or his older uncle or maybe the chief of the village same for the young ladies it would have to be your mother's mother or your mother's auntie or the senior elder female of the community would pick your daughter so uh i think it would be good if we would bring some of these elements back into our community and one thing about these different arts and these styles of music and dance is something that you can do that's spiritual and that is relative to your existence that you could do every day you don't have to talk with your mouth and then do something different you can live it every day it could be a part of your spirituality that you can practice so uh let us get right to the dance that was a wonderful presentation i'm sure we all enjoyed it one more the hour is getting late and the library does close at five i believe today so we're going to move the program along and uh we have two more awardees the next one is Dwayne Robinson if you'll come forward he grew up in baby hunter's point and has been involved in mentoring and counseling use for a number of years as an assistant basketball coach at city college and a head coach with the adult basketball mid-light league in the early 1990s he gained the ability to motivate players to their peak performances this skill was easily transferable for mentoring and counseling at risk youth dwayne is a role model that young men can especially identify with for he has been where many of these youths find themselves as a prevention specialist with baby hunter's point youth service he had the task of tracking students in attendance and grades at that same time he was also a counselor for the home detention program whereas duties included aggressive monitoring of youth to ensure compliance with court orders he's been a tutor and counselor with the family uh prozac project and a san francisco uh educate uh and the san francisco educational services he is currently a coordinator for the baby hunter's point healthy start collaborative which works with the six elementary schools in the community to promote the health of the total child mentally emotionally as well as physically uh dwayne is also executive director and owner of the bayview barbers college which will be opening this summer providing jobs and training to youth in the bayview hunter's point also he is a member of uh exposure pronouncing cag cag community advisory group uh for the muni light rail on third street and he's also involved with the enterprise zone council he's a he's the uh a youth member of that so without further due i'd like to introduce dwayne as an unsung hero uh as well as being married and the father of five i'd like to give thanks and foremost to our creator god almighty i'd like to give a special thanks to my grandmother i'd like her to stand up for if not her i would not be here today she's 89 years old she's a very inspiration to me um working in bayview um it's it was really hard in the beginning when i first took on a job of working with youth trying to get them in school and try to realize the realization of what their lives in the future would be but as i go throughout bayview and throughout the city working with our youth i think that all of us have a tendency to look at the ones who hang out in the corners as being bad but this is what we saw today the kids who were up here they could be one of these kids who were up here today but i would like to keep this short and one of the things that i really want to um get to the point was my son right here this is my my baby son right here and did you want to say something oh what do you say thank you thank you okay and the last awardee is larry gray should athletes be role models for young people do they have any social responsibilities beyond negotiating the best contracts they can get for themselves that question has been debated in newspaper columns and radio and tv sports talk shows today we're honoring an athlete for whom there's never been any doubt about the answer to those questions coach larry gray has been using his talent to help kids in his community for over 20 years following high school graduation gray divided his time between continuing his education and playing professional basketball including a stint in the nba with a la lakers probably needing him up here but the warriors but he was down there he earned a bachelor's degree from evansville university in indiana and a master's degree from san francisco state majoring in secondary education he coached basketball at redwood high school city college of san francisco and in san francisco pro-am summer leagues at the same time he was a recreation coordinator at elahill hill hitch community hutch sorry elahill hutch community center in the western edition there he was a co-founder of the highly successful midnight basketball program this program is not just about basketball its participants also get g ed preparation employment training and hope and purpose for the future thanks to larry vision and commitment larry is presently director of athletics at bow ball high school he also gives to capricorn a non-profit organization he has founded capricorn operates as a referral service contacting coaches to alert them to promising athletes girls as well as boys larry gray has was nominated for this award by more than a dozen young people their respect and regard for him is apparent quote he's always helping kids stay out of trouble close quote quote he helped put me on the right track close quote quote many are able to look up to coach gray close quote these are typical of the comments they make about him we're proud to honor you as an unsung hero you're being presented as last but that doesn't mean you're still not first okay first of all i could give honor to my creator because we know without him i would not be here today i'd like to give honor also to jimmy magnil who sort of uh i won't say trick me but he sort of got to me by asking me for my resume and i never knew why he said he was going to send it to some coaches because there were some jobs that was available because myself i just believe that what i'm doing is part of my life's work i don't feel like i'm doing anything that should be recognized this something that's a part of my daily work but i wanted to say that uh with our student athletes especially african-americans uh i'm trying to help them get their fair do what i mean by that is we do not have enough african-american student athletes leaving san francisco going to college and my goal is as director of athletics at balboa to make sure that our young people get that rightful do get their grades up and be recognized as students athletes second thank you at this point i would like to turn the program over to john jackson who is an honorary unsung hero thank you dr colman um i have a lot of people to thank uh and i think i will begin with the other librarians who worked with me on this program this year you know this is the ninth annual uh and this program began in 1989 nine from seven that's when it began um and it began at the western edition library which i'm very proud to say is the library that i'm the manager of uh and this is the first year that we've had a librarian's committee uh to work on it and i think that uh it's been four times as successful this year because of that uh these are the members of the committee uh dark darkest thomas of ocean view branch amy holloway who is the librarian of the african-american center here in the main library and you already met linda brooks burton who is the manager of the bayview widen and we four would all very much like to thank dr colman for doing such a wonderful job and to show our appreciation we have a gift certificate for you dr colman from marcus bookstore so thank you thank you well before i close there is another unsung hero um and i would not dare leave here without introducing her and that's my wife i'm not quite finished yet uh in uh in addition to the hardworking librarians committee uh we also had a great deal of help from a number of people in our communities and i would like you to meet them now um there's my wife um majoria louise dickie standing in back um merriam pavis merriam dorthy strickland donald ray young i haven't seen donald ray this afternoon i i don't think he was able to be here but he was a tremendous amount of help and has been for years in in putting this program together um and another person who has been a big help for years who may also not be in the room and that's martha tippaddle who is the uh member of the national council of negro women who has been with me since what was that year who figured it out when did this program 88 1988 martha and i have been working together on this program and martha is in uh the room across the hall supervising the preparation of a fabulous reception with a banquet i've been over there and i've had some samples and i can tell you there is plenty and it's delicious and we want you all to go over there and have some in a minute when i finish talking uh i would also i would also like to introduce if she's in the room still uh marcia snider who's the uh chief of branches for the library is she there she is she's waving hi marcia and she's she's just been out helping us get permission to stay here late so that we don't have to get out of here by five o'clock we can stay later uh i would also at this time i would like to introduce um sharon johnson miss johnson you've waited a long time for this moment it's come miss johnson is from assemblyman kevin shelly's office please come thank you thank you uh dr colman and uh the great committee but especially thank you to all of the unsung heroes that were mentioned today and for all of those of you that are out there doing the work of for the community and behalf of yourselves and your families unfortunately assemblyman kevin shelly cannot be here with you today but he asked me to send his best regards to all of you and i have uh certificates of recognition from the california state assembly that i will leave with jones so that you may collect them and congratulations and thank you oh they're very nice uh i also have certificates from senator quinton comps office senator quinton comps office did not send anyone here uh but they they send over their certificates so um award winners please stop by and see me at the reception and um you get your certificates and now i wish to introduce someone who's been very dear to me for a long time uh this lady was one of the very first unsung hero award winners um and she's been helping us ever since then uh this is vera clanton she is the president of the northern california life members guild of the national council of negro women and uh from this plant thank you jones jones is one of the most giving women that i know she has given to this community the western edition since 1889 and before but we brought it to the public in 1889 this oh i'm sorry listen this is very important i just got through with this black history month visiting the schools talking about frederick douglas sojourner truce and all these 1889 and so it's a part of me right now but anyway you know i would like to say for jones and that committees that worked with the unsung hero since 19 since 1989 they have done a marvelous job and the national council of negro women has been a co-partner with them we have served with them in more ways than one and you know it takes a good cook to sometimes keep the audience together see all of you are going to stay here now until you go in that reception room and you should because it's very very beautiful but marcia tipido as she stated is our second vice president of the golden gate section and she has worked on the committee and also in sharing with the food so she's in there now but one of the things i had to say about john i got to find my little nose she's the courageous woman because she has stood up and went through with this for eight years over in the western edition at the library 1550 scott street where we were cuddled in there between books but we had a beautiful celebration each year but this year look at us we have the big uh auditorium so now next year i'm sure we'll be here again so we are so pleased to have the ocean view angle side bay view and honus point and you know i was so glad to see them today because all of them remember me when i was working with their children so now when i saw them today everybody remembered me even when i was a robinson but you know i'm glad to see you because i'm getting up there and i'm forgetting faces but not i'm forgetting names but not faces so i'm very pleased to be with you so i was i gotta tell you just a little bit about the national council of negro women it is a council of 34 organizations called affiliates and 250 community-based sections and that is we're not leaving out anyone men and women men we need you and you are our affiliates we're so glad to see clerk clerkly over there he's one of our life legacy no he's a life member a life associate member with us so men join him that means that he paid 300 but anybody can be a member and support us each year at 25 so we're going to have application blanks and more information i even had a sheet printed because i knew i wouldn't have time to say the things i want to say so we're going to have a sheet it'll be over in the social hall i'll be sitting at a table so you come by and see me and i'll tell you much more about the national council of negro women so thank you very much for this little time also i want to say thank you to dr colman he's one that helped me with my little girls also so thank you i just happened to see that uh i believe that's martha tibodeau in the back there in blue uh we've already thank you martha but at least wave so everyone knows it's you and i think oh i have one more person to thank i saw her a minute ago uh carol and cooly who has been the stage manager here today where is she did where did she go there she is hi here she did a wonderful job i don't think we could have done this program without you caroline uh and of course today shawabi who's uh videoing the program and i believe people who want tapes uh if you get in touch with one of the members of the committee will make sure that you are able to get one um you want one okay good well you just let us know we'll make sure you get one you know something i feel bad i was going to urge everyone to go up to see the african-american center on the third floor i know it was mentioned early but i wanted to reinforce that i don't think we can do that now can we Amy it's it's yes the the the library closes at five so i don't think we can go up there today but i urge everyone to go back and see it it's a wonderful place and we thank dr colman very much because he was so instrumental in raising the money to that to achieve it i think that's all the talking i have to do but of course there's still a very important part of the program left and that is the reception uh that will be held when you go out the door outside uh you want to sort of go to your left not a hard left but but sort of diagonally to your left to the latino hispanic room and that is where the banquet and reception is and i i hope that while we're in there i hope that people who've received awards we could kind of gather and have a photo opportunity for the the group um that concludes my remarks anyone else