St. Mark A.M.E. Church’s 31st Dr. Martin Luther King Celebration on Sunday, January 20th includes an exhibit owned by Mount Mary College, highlighting African American Women Moving Us Forward. The exhibit, entitled “Sisters of Freedom” will be on display at St. Mark, 1616 W. Atkinson Ave., January 20, 2013, with extended dates. The exhibit is free to the public.
Prior to opening the exhibit, St. Mark will hold a service and program at the church (beginning at 11a.m. honoring individuals that exemplify this year’s theme: “Called to Make a Difference.” Those being honored have shown courage to act and persevere as they sought solutions to inequities. The honorees are:
Dr. Eve M. Hall, African American Chamber of Commerce. She is a leader and advocate, experienced in education, non-profit, and governmental sectors; has earned a reputation as a “builder” and one who inspires and demonstrates the power of strong programs and partnerships to create change and opportunities that positively impact the lives of others. She presently serves as the President/CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she is leading the renewal of the organization.
Michael L. Jones, Retired City of Milwaukee Fire Chief. Chief Jones began his service career with the Department, in October 1979. Over a 32 year span Chief Jones developed extensive experience working with federal, state, regional and local agencies. As a professional firefighter, Chief Jones recognized the increasing complexities to maintain and attract young men and women within the community to seek careers within the fire services. He worked with the City of Milwaukee Department of Employee Relations (DER) to ensure “no adverse impact” took place during the testing process, while cultivating and maintaining professional competence among fire recruits, firefighters and chief officers.
Captain Terrence T. Gordon, City of Milwaukee Police Department. Captain Gordon is a native of Milwaukee and proudly serves the community that shaped him. He has been a member of the Milwaukee Police Department since 1995.
As captain of District 5 since 2010, he has stressed a community-involved and community oriented approach to solving problems and building the community block by block. Captain Gordon says he is extremely proud of the officers and supervisors at District 5 who have remained engaged in the community despite the obstacles and challenges they faced in 2012. He believes no recognition of his achievements would be complete without the acknowledgement of their hard work, day in and day out, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. His mottos, heard by anyone who has heard him speak are, “No one can do it along,” and “Faith without works is dead.”
Christine Neumann-Ortiz, founding Executive Director of Voces de la Frontera. Ms. Neumann-Ortiz is recognized as a national leader in immigration reform, serving on the board of a national coalition of the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM) and featured in national interviews on NPR, Democracy Now!, CNN, and a contributor to Huffington Post. Voces is part of the Interfaith Worker Justice Workers’ Center network and is affiliated with international networks National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities and the Coalition for Justice in the Maquiladoras (CJM).
Penelope Steward, Community Outreach Manager for The Blood Center of Wisconsin, is a native Milwaukeean who is known for being active in the community. She comes from a family heritage filled with individuals who have made an impact on the Milwaukee in politics, business and religion. Penelope is civic-minded and enjoys helping people, and feels honored, humble and blessed to know she can make a difference. Steward also oversees The Blood Center of Wisconsin’s Marrow Donor Program, which focuses on recruiting a large, ethnically diverse group of prospective donors in order to offer patients a better chance for a match, and for survival.
Shirley A. Smith, a native Mississippian and lifelong member of the A.M.E. Church, became Executive Assistant for St. Mark in 1994. She has served under the administration of three pastors, three presiding elders and four bishops. She is always willing to serve and help those in need. She says, “Her work in the church is her ministry.”
Shirley is a dedicated servant of God; she loves God, her family and church. Her motto is, “Only what you do for Christ will last.”
The keynote speaker for the program is Joanne Williams. Ms. Williams grew up in the television industry. When she was in high school, she was already involved in broadcast journalism. She hosted a teen talk show on WAWA, a Milwaukee radio station, and the experience helped inspire her career. She spent 30 years at WITI-TV 6. Williams has become a familiar and trusted Milwaukee staple, and her community spirit and involvement run deep. Among her activities, she is the Regional Director for Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan for the National Association of Black Journalists, the largest organization of journalists of color in the world. She is also a former president of the Milwaukee Press Club and currently is host for TV program, Black Nouveau.
Questions regarding the exhibit hours can be answered by calling St. Mark at 414-562-8030.
