[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 37 (Monday, March 5, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E462-E463]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




IN RECOGNITION OF THE OCCASION OF THE SCHOMBURG CENTER FOR RESEARCH IN 
      BLACK CULTURE 80TH ANNIVERSARY AFRICANA HERITAGE AWARDS GALA

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 5, 2007

  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the Schomburg 
Center For Research in Black Culture for hosting the 80th Anniversary 
Africana Heritage Awards Gala, in which 13 living legends were honored 
and to enter into the record an article from the Africana Heritage 
newsletter entitled ``80th Anniversary Gala Pays Tribute to 13 Living 
Legends.''
  On October 6, 2006, the Schomburg Center For Research in Black 
Culture, which is a community treasure, recognized and honored Black 
achievement by paying tribute to living legends Maya Angelou, Chinua 
Achebe, Clarence Avant, Harry Belafonte, Elizabeth Catlett, Aime 
Cesaire, Ruby Dee, John Hope Franklin, William Greaves, Ernest Kaiser, 
Don Newcombe, Herman J. Russell, and Percy Sutton. The legends have 
made significant contributions to African American history and culture 
in areas such as law, business, acting, music, filmmaking, poetry, and 
sports. Each honoree was presented with a Heritage Award statuette. I 
was honored to present an award to Percy Sutton.
  The well organized gala was attended by over 1,000 people. Honorees 
and guest enjoyed music and poetry performed by the Eli Fountain 
Percussion Discussion Ensemble, Angelique Kidjo, Kaissa, Kayo, Avery 
Brooks, and Phylicia Rashad. Dinner was also served. The gala marked a 
historical moment for the Schomberg Center. The honorary chairs for the 
gala including myself were President Bill Clinton, Senator Hillary 
Rodham Clinton, David Dinkins, Catherine C. Marron, and Paul LeClerc.
  The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, which is located 
in Harlem, is a part of the New York Public Library. It was named after 
black scholar Arturo Alfonso Schomburg in 1940 and in 1972 was 
designated as a Research Library within the New York Public Library.
  It contains an immeasurable wealth of information in the form of 
manuscripts, rare books, archives, art, photographs, oral history 
recordings, motion pictures, and videotapes relative to global African 
and African diasporan experiences.
  I have introduced legislation, H. Con. Res. 57, to recognize the 
Schomburg Center for Research and Black Culture for educating the 
people of the United States about the African-American migration 
experience, and for other purposes.

                 [From the African Heritage Newsletter]

        80th Anniversary Gala Pays Tribute to 13 Living Legends

       Legends came to life for the nearly one thousand guests 
     gathered at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln 
     Center for the Schomburg Center's 80th Anniversary Africana 
     Heritage Awards Gala, on Friday, October 6, 2006. Chaired by 
     Billye S. Aaron and Sherry B. Bronfman, the Gala Honorary 
     Chairs included President William Jefferson Clinton, Senator 
     Hillary Rodham Clinton, Congressman Charles B. Rangel, The 
     Honorable David N. Dinkins, Chairman of the Board, The New 
     York Public Library Catherine C. Marron, and President and 
     CEO, The New York Public Library Dr. Paul LeClerc.
       One of the most memorable evenings in the Center and New 
     York's cultural history, the event honored an extraordinary 
     group of 13 individuals, whose careers and lives have had an 
     immeasurable impact on African-American and American culture. 
     The honorees included author, poet, dancer, actress, and 
     director, Maya Angelou; author and scholar, Chinua Achebe; 
     music executive and producer, Clarence Avant; singer, actor, 
     and activist, Harry Belafonte; sculptress and printmaker, 
     Elizabeth Catlett; author, poet, and playwright, Aime 
     Cesaire; actress, writer, activist, Ruby Dee; historian and 
     author, John Hope Franklin; filmmaker and producer, William 
     Greaves; librarian, bibliographer, and editor, Ernest Kaiser; 
     athlete and community leader, Don Newcombe; entrepreneur and 
     civic leader, Herman J. Russell; and lawyer, activist, 
     political and communications leader, Percy Sutton.
       The evening began with a VIP reception at the Mandarin 
     Oriental Hotel for the award recipients and major donors, and 
     continued at the Frederick P. Rose Hall with: a cocktail 
     reception in the Atrium, tribute program in The Rose Theater, 
     and a post-tribute dinner in the Allen Room. At the Mandarin, 
     many of the honorees gathered and mingled with distinguished 
     guests including the Gala Co-Chairs Billye Aaron and Sherry 
     Bronfman; Honorary Chairs Congressman Charles B. Rangel and 
     The Honorable David N. Dinkins; and Vice Chairs Hank Aaron, 
     Joyce Dinkins, Evem Cooper Epps, president of the UPS 
     Foundation and vice president of its Corporate Relations, 
     Ingrid Saunders Jones, senior vice president of The Coca-Cola 
     Company and chair of the Coca-Cola Foundation, and The 
     Honorable Andrew J. Young; along with New York City Council 
     Speaker Christine Quinn, President and CEO of Major League 
     Baseball Bob DuPuy, actor Danny Glover, and author Walter 
     Mosley. Entertained by Saleem Waters, the group also included 
     poet Sonia Sanchez, author Walter Mosley, NYU Professor 
     Manthia Diawara, Essence Magazine Editorial Director Susan L. 
     Taylor, and New York Assemblyman Keith L.T. Wright.
       The tribute program in the Rose Theater began with a 
     prelude of songs spanning 80 years to mirror the center's and 
     the honorees' lifetimes by Eli Fountain Percussion Discussion 
     Ensemble, featuring musicians Lyndon Achee, Alex Blake, Brian 
     Carrot, Miles Dalto, Roland Guerreo, Phoenix Rivera, William 
     Smith, Marc Taylor, and special guest artist Patato Valdez on 
     the congas. Program hosts, actors Avery Brooks

[[Page E463]]

     and Phylicia Rashad, greeted the audience followed by 
     welcomes and acknowledgements by Howard Dodson and David 
     Ferriero and Co-Chairs Billye Aaron and Sherry Bronfinan. 
     Author and spoken word artist Kayo presented the first 
     performance tribute to the honorees, ``I Can Move 
     Mountains.'' The award presenters gave biographical sketches 
     and read the citation for each honoree before presenting the 
     award statuettes with the assistance of four students from 
     the Schomburg Center/New York Life Junior Scholars 
     Program. The audience paid tribute to each recipient with 
     a standing ovation. The first awards were presented to 
     Ernest Kaiser by Schomburg Chief Howard Dodson; William 
     Greaves by President of the Black Filmmaker Foundation 
     Warrington Hudlin; Ruby Dee by actress Lynn Whitfield; and 
     Harry Belafonte by Sherry Bronfman and Danny Glover. West 
     African singer Angelique Kidjo then performed a special 
     song in honor of the Africana Heritage Award recipients. 
     The second set of awards were presented to Don Newcombe by 
     Hank Aaron and Bob DuPuy; Clarence Avant by Billye Aaron; 
     Herman Russell by Ingrid Saunders Jones; and Percy Sutton 
     by Charles Rangel and David Dinkins. Avery Brooks 
     performed Sterling Brown's poem ``Strong Men'' followed by 
     Percussion Discussion, which kept the audience excited 
     throughout the evening with their distinct and diverse 
     sound.
       The third and final set of honorees to receive statuettes 
     were Elizabeth Catlett by Evern Cooper Epps and David 
     Driskell, Dean of African-American Art Historians; John Hope 
     Franklin by Howard Dodson; Aime Cesaire by Walter Mosley; 
     Maya Angelou by Andrew Young; and Chinua Achebe by Manthia 
     Diawara, Professor of Comparative Literature and Film and 
     Director of Africana Studies and the Institute of African 
     American Affairs at New York University. The final 
     performance tributes were Phylicia Rashad's reading of Maya 
     Angelou's ``Phenomenal Woman,'' and a musical selection by 
     vocalist Kaissa, from Cameroon.
       After the tribute program, the honorees and major donors 
     enjoyed dinner in the Allen Room. Awaiting them was a 
     breathtaking view of New York City from the room's dramatic 
     glass wall facing Broadway and Central Park, allowing guests 
     a remarkable--but rare view of the City's streetscape. Tables 
     with lavender rose centerpieces designed by Sandra Parks on 
     royal blue overlays designed by David Fleming, along with 
     music by Saleem Waters added to the extraordinary ambience. 
     The Gala closed with words of appreciation from Howard 
     Dodson, marking one of the most historical moments in the 
     history of the Schomburg Center.

                          ____________________