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On April 27th,
nearly 300 fair housing supporters gathered at the Buffalo Convention
Center to celebrate HOME’s 41st year of fighting for fair
housing. The theme of the evening was “Fair Housing..A Dream Deferred.”
The celebration was marked by events and moments that proved that while
the dream may indeed be deferred, it is certainly not dead.
The evening began with a reception which gave attendees a
chance to mingle with friends both old and new. Many took this opportunity
to enjoy a display entitled “No one simply passes through.” The display
highlighted the many milestones of the civil rights movement both in
Buffalo and nationwide. The display was enclosed by a quote from Bayard
Rustin. Upon Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s death in 1968, Rustin wrote,
“It is up to us, the living, to realize Dr. King’s dream... We owe it to
his memory and to our futures.”
Once attendees were
seated and dinner was served, those seated at the dais were welcomed by
Membership Chair Jean Doerr. Board President Charles Thomas III called the
meeting to order and introduced Elizabeth Clark, chair of the Nominating
Committee.
Ms. Clark gave the report of the Committee and conducted the
election of new officers and board members. This year’s officers will be
Charles C. Thomas III, Chair; Janet E. Barnes, President; Stephen B.
Karnath, Esq., Senior Vice President; H. Christine Kregg, Vice President;
Lance A. Fertig, Secretary and Michael D. Riegel, Treasurer.
Also elected to the HOME Board of Directors were Grace
Andriette, Mary Ellen Brockmyre, Elizabeth Clark, Diana Cooke, Susan Fayle,
Eunice Jackson, Leah Mervine, Juan Carlos Valentine, Yvette Viera and
Steven Weiss.
Following the election, the Joanne Champion Granger
Scholarship award was presented by Honorary President Arthur Butler. First
prize was awarded to Jordan Zachritz, a senior McKinley High School. A
poet who has been honored for his work by the NCCJ and the Erie County
Youth Bureau, he has applied his award-winning talents as a poet, in his
words, “to plant seeds against violence, for inclusion and toward free
expression” Second prize was awarded to Nia Stanford of Nardin Academy.
Ms. Stanford has been a Girl Scout for eight years and was selected for a
Girl Scout Wider Opportunity for which she traveled to Mexico and
conducted a workshop in Spanish.
Following the report of Board Chair Susan M. Fayle, Assistant
Director of Mobility David Wright ushered in what would prove to be the
night’s most emotional moment. He introduced former fair housing client
Gwendolyn McIver. Bravely fighting the emotions of the moment, Ms. McIver
told the story of her daughter Shandria Brooks. (See “A Dream Denied”,
this issue.)
Ms. Brooks was residing
in a BMHA apartment with her two children in July 1998 when she suffered a
catastrophic stroke, which would ultimately leave her paralyzed. Ms.
McIver requested that her daughter be transferred to a
wheelchair-accessible unit. After a year of trying to resolve the issue on
her own, Ms. McIver eventually sought HOME’s assistance in May 1999.
Sadly, Ms. Brooks was
not able to see justice served firsthand. The case was not resolved until
April 2004, four years after Mr. Brooks’ untimely death.
Thankful for the
assistance she had received in seeing her case to closure, Ms. McIver
honored her daughter by presenting gifts to Executive Director Scott Gehl,
Associate Director Andrea Mujahid-Moore and attorneys Steven Halpern and
Daniel Lukasik.
After the moving speech by Ms. McIver, Associate Director
Andrea Mujahid-Moore introduced the evening’s keynote speaker, Carolyn Y.
Peoples, Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity in the
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. She praised the work
that HOME is doing to fight for the cause of equal housing in the Western
New York area. She also spoke highly of the Bush Administration’s efforts
to provide home ownership opportunities for a wide range of individuals.
After Ms. Peoples finished her address, she presented
Executive Director Scott Gehl with HUD’S second annual Pioneer of Fair
Housing Award. The award is given to individuals who have exemplified
long-term commitment and dedication to civil rights, which Mr. Gehl has
shown during his 22 years as HOME’s Executive Director.
Among the unique events at this year’s Annual Meeting was a
performance by the HOME Players, HOME’s improvisational theatre troupe.
The scenario was performed by Kimberly Campbell and Whitney Campbell. The
real-life mother/daughter team portrayed a mother and daughter dealing
with an incident of discrimination faced when the mother was denied
housing because of the color of her skin.
Following the performance by the HOME Players, outgoing board
chair Susan Fayle and Executive Director Scott Gehl issued a certificate
of appreciation to Christopher Hull and the Town of Hamburg for furthering
the cause of fair housing in “The Town That Friendship Built.” Buffalo
News reporter James Heaney was also recognized for public service
reporting which has advanced the cause of fair housing, specifically his
coverage of the atrocities at the Marine Drive Apartments.
The Mitzi Williams Award for Professional Service was awarded
to HOME’s Community Education Specialist Anne Huiner for her innovative
work in educating the masses of Western New York about fair housing.
HOME’s highest honor, the James Crawford Award, was presented
to Janet E. Barnes. Ms. Barnes is a longtime supporter of HOME and has
served on HOME’s Board of Directors since 1993.
The evening ended with revelry and dancing to the sounds of
the Joanne Paladino Quartet.
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