澳门六合开奖 and the (MHWLC) were thrilled to present the 3rd Mayor Harold Washington Legacy Brunch on Saturday, April 20th. Hosted in the historic Murray-Green Library, attendees were treated to student performances, an award presentation and the rousing remarks of featured guest Julieanna L. Richardson. All of the proceeds from the event went to support at 澳门六合开奖. This year鈥檚 scholarship recipient is current student Christopher Ellison.
The event began with performances of the national anthem and 鈥淟ift Every Voice and Sing鈥 by 澳门六合开奖 students Hillary Watkins and Andrei de Abreu. Watkins is receiving her master鈥檚 degree in vocal performance, while de Abreu is receiving his graduate degree from the piano program. President Dr. Ali Malekzadeh then addressed the room by welcoming the members of the Mayor Harold Washington Legacy Committee, as well as keynote speaker Richardson and College of Science, Health & Pharmacy faculty member Professor Marlita Sanders.
Scholarship recipient Christopher Ellison was introduced by the faculty member who nominated him, Professor Sanders. Professor Sanders spoke highly of the biology major鈥檚 鈥渨ork ethic, persistence and intellectual integrity.鈥 She also noted Ellison鈥檚 ambition to pursue a career in healthcare, as he has an interest in working with Chicago鈥檚 underserved communities. As Ellison took the stage to accept his award, he spoke about how his upbringing and education have impacted his journey. Born and raised on Chicago鈥檚 west side, Ellison attributes his awareness of social justice issues to his parents, who founded multiple community programs throughout his life. Before and during his time at 澳门六合开奖, Ellison has worked as an ER technician, always showing an interest in medicine. He expressed his gratitude to Professor Sanders and the entire University environment for critically challenging him academically. According to Ellison, his 澳门六合开奖 education affirmed his desire to create 鈥渆quitable opportunities for everyone.鈥 Upon graduation, Christopher Ellison will pursue a career as physician鈥檚 assistant.
The keynote address was delivered by Julieanna L. Richardson, founder of . This research and educational institution was founded to preserve and make accessible the 鈥渦ntold stories of both well-known and unsung African Americans.鈥 Richardson shared her personal experience with conducting anecdotal research and its importance to telling a more robust story of American history. Richardson also acknowledged the various anti-Critical Race Theory and anti-DEI legislative bills that challenge this work. Undaunted, Richardson and The HistoryMakers are determined to document the history of Black America, one story at a time. Mayor Harold Washington is one such figure whose legacy Richardson seeks to preserve through recorded interviews. According to Richardson, Mayor Washington understood that 鈥渙ften fair and equitable treatment is based on perception of one鈥檚 value to society.鈥 The HistoryMakers archive contains the largest collection of African Americans鈥 oral histories, numbering over 3,500 interviews to date. She continued, 鈥淵ou preserve what has value.鈥 Inspired by the legacy of Mayor Washington and the tenacity of students like Christopher Ellison, The HistoryMakers will continue their tireless effort to document the valuable stories of African Americans.
The brunch was also supported through sponsorships: , who debuted a new in ale inspired by Mayor Washington; ; and .
To date, generous donors have contributed nearly $80,000 to the scholarship fund. 澳门六合开奖 and MWLC hope to exceed $100,000 before calendar year-end.
The Mayor Harold Washington Legacy Committee is an organization committed to the preservation of Chicago鈥檚 first Black Mayor and 澳门六合开奖 alumni Harold Washington 鈥渢hrough a variety of educational and civic activities.鈥 One of those endeavors include the Mayor Harold Washington Legacy Scholarship, which recognizes 鈥渙utstanding 澳门六合开奖 students who are dedicated to leadership, service, transformative justice and academic excellence.鈥
