"Inequality in education is the civil rights issue of our generation. Unequal treatment in many areas can be overcome, but inequities in education can have life-time ramifications," warned Dr. Ruth J. Simmons, President of Brown University. As the first African American president of an Ivy League institution, Dr. Simmons believes that a good education is one of the most powerful tools to create opportunity and equity.
On June 7th, 2011, at ERASE Racism's 10th Anniversary Celebration and Benefit Reception, Dr. Simmons spoke to over 350 Long Islanders about her journey as the granddaughter of slaves in the deep-south, to one of the most accomplished educational leaders of our time.
Dr. Simmons, however, wasn't the only honoree to speak about the importance of education; all four of the night's honorees stressed the goals of ensuring that all students, regardless of their race and income, have access to a high-quality education and that they learn in racially diverse environments.
Howard A. Glickstein, Esq., Dean Emeritus of Touro Law School, also received the Abraham Krasnoff Courage and Commitment Award for being an exemplary champion for racial justice, whose work spans a half a century. In his acceptance speech Mr. Glickstein explained, "We do damage to their hearts and minds when we educate children to merely be successful in an apartheid society...We do damage when we raise our children in an educational incubator where they develop false notions of racial and cultural superiority."
For the first time, ERASE Racism recognized two corporate honorees with the Corporate Leadership Award. John D. Cameron, Jr., Cameron Engineering and Associates, received the honor for his efforts to further racial equity in public schools as the Chairman of the Long Island Regional Planning Council. When speaking of education, Mr. Cameron said, "It is an issue that goes right to the heart of our sustainability, affordability, competitiveness and, yes, equity," he explained.
The ERASE Racism Corporate Leadership Award was also given to Omni New York LLC, for their efforts to significantly increase quality, affordable housing on Long Island. Omni New York Managing Director and former Major League Baseball player Maurice "Mo" Vaughn accepted the award. In his acceptance speech he spoke about the experiences that he had working with teammates from all over the world. "There are tremendous examples every day that there doesn't need to be racism in this world," he said.
If you weren't able to attend the event we encourage you to watch the acceptance speeches, which are all available on ERASE Racism's YouTube page.
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| V. Elaine Gross, Ruth J. Simmons, Howard A. Glickstein |
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| Maurice "Mo" Vaughn, V. Elaine Gross, John D. Cameron, Jr. |
To view all photos from the event please visit our Facebook page.
