Communities That Care Coalition
Promoting health, well-being, and equity among young people in Franklin County and the North Quabbin
https://www.arshaycooper.com/meet-arshay
ARSHAY COOPER is a Rower, Benjamin Franklin award-winning author, the protagonist of the critically acclaimed film “A Most Beautiful Thing,” a Golden Oar recipient for his contributions to the sport of rowing, motivational speaker, and activist, particularly around issues of accessibility for low-income families.
When Cheryl Freeman-Smith looked around at Commencement in 1992, she was one of only 39 Black engineers in her Northwestern graduating class out of around 400. And there were “only four of us in industrial engineering,” she recalls.
Today, Freeman-Smith, who grew up in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood, is committed to holding the door wide open for other Black students who are interested in careers in manufacturing, transportation and logistics. For the past 12 years, Freeman-Smith has worked at Olive-Harvey College (OHC), a community college on Chicago’s far South Side that is part of the City Colleges of Chicago consortium. As OHC’s dean of career programs and continuing education and director of apprenticeship partnerships, she creates opportunities for students from low-income communities to gain the specialized skills required for the modern economy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daphne_Maxwell_Reid
Daphne Etta Reid (née Maxwell; July 13, 1948) is an American actress, comedian, designer, and former model. She is best known for her role as the second Vivian Banks on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from 1993 to 1996.
https://www.npr.org/2024/10/03/nx-s1-5133287/lillie-cunningham-110-year-old-alabama-woman
At 110 years old, an Alabama woman credits one thing for her long life: faith
She may be one of the world’s oldest people. But age is just a number to Lillie Cunningham.
Celia Benvenutti
Celia Benvenutti is an Afro-Latina dance artist, native Detroiter, and Howard University alumna.
https://www.steinway.com/artists/adegoke-steve-colson
Steinway Artist, ADEGOKE STEVE COLSON is a Grammy® nominated pianist and composer – a native of East Orange, NJ – who has performed internationally as a leader of jazz ensembles ranging from trios to orchestras. His work has been recorded on labels that include Columbia/Sony, Evidence, and Black Saint. His Solo Piano recording Tones For, reflecting on the lives and work of Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglass, was his most recent release on his label, Silver Sphinx.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/266520730/njoki-mcelroy
Born Hilda Nadine Hampton, she was the daughter of J.D. Hampton and Mrs. Marion (Washington) Hampton.
“A Special Gift: Dallas Playwright Njoki McElroy Remembered For Her Commitment To Racial Awareness —
Marian McElroy says her mother had a special gift. “Her ability to tell stories and to verbalize,” she says. Over 50 years, Njoki McElroy, who died last year in October, wrote 15 plays, two books and a plethora of short stories. She directed and produced performances throughout the United States, Africa, Canada, and the Caribbean.
https://pulitzercenter.org/people/brandon-nichols
Dr. Brandon Nichols serves as the Vice President of Academic Affairs at Olive-Harvey College, one of the City Colleges of Chicago. He describes himself as being a mission-driven, students-first educator through civic engagement. The Illinois native resides from the southeast side of Chicago.
https://www.npr.org/2024/09/19/nx-s1-5114356/jazz-night-in-america-george-benson
Few musicians have seen the success that guitarist, vocalist and cultural icon George Benson has: platinum records, a record of the year Grammy, four Top 10 hits.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Benson
George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943)[3] is an American jazz fusion guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist.