ABOVE PHOTO: Rep. vanessa l. Brown (second from left) with honorees at her Legislative Image Awards ceremony.
State Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown, D-Phila., and the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus honored more than 300 local women Saturday afternoon during her 2012 190th Legislative District Image Awards ceremony.
The theme of this year’s awards ceremony was “Women Working Together for Change.”
The ceremony, held before a standing-room-only crowd at the Greater Bible Way Temple, recognized local women from the community who make the day-to-day life in the 190th District better for all residents.
The keynote speaker, retired Judge Doris A. Smith-Ribner, discussed the roles of African- American women in the voter rights movement, from the days of segregation through the Women’s Suffrage movement, to today’s issues tied to the new Voter ID law.
“Seeing all these women together gives a face to the many women who work behind the scenes for the community every day, without expecting praise, lifts my heart,” Brown said. “It was amazing to see women who have succeeded in non-traditional careers, such as SEPTA mechanics, heavy equipment operators, and firefighters, and others, such as Native American women in their native dress.”
Among those honored were city workers, SEPTA drivers, pastors, educators and community volunteers.
The winners were cited under various categories; among them are: integrity, strength, wisdom, courage and humanity.
Attending the ceremony were State Reps. Ronald G. Waters, D-Phila., chairman of the PLBC, and Louise Williams Bishop, D-Phila., City Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown and Judge Thomasina Tynes.
Judge Tynes spoke about being a female in what is consider a male job.
“It was fascinating to hear her discuss the roles of compassion and fairness as a woman serving on the bench,” Brown said.
Leave a Comment