Kamala Harris to be feted by the Brotherhood Crusade
She will receive the organization’s Pioneer Award
California Attorney General Kamala Harris will be honored by the Brotherhood Crusade at the upcoming Pioneer of African American Achievement Award Dinner at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Nov. 4. She’ll receive the Bremond-Bakewell Award, named for Walter Bremond, founder of the community-service organization in 1968, and Danny Bakewell, the nonprofit’s institutional builder.
The Brotherhood Crusade’s current president and CEO is Charisse Bremond-Weaver, the daughter of the founder, who assumed the reigns in 2006.
The evenings’ hosting duties will volley between local KTLA anchor Chris Schauble and 94.7 WAVE radio personality Pat Prescott. Entertainment will be provided by popular soul balladeer Will Downing, who released his 14th album last year.
The Pioneer Award Dinner was begun to recognize outstanding achievement within the African American community. Past honorees include Muhammad Ali, Rosa Parks and Magic Johnson.
“This event is our annual fundraiser where we highlight our honoree, who this year happens to be Attorney General Kamala Harris,” said Bremond-Weaver. “We also take the opportunity highlight our partners such as Microsoft, Verizon, Southwest Airlines, JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Northrop-Grumman, Comerica Bank and a few others who we simply couldn’t do it without.
“Choosing Kamala Harris as this year’s honoree was really a no-brainer. Her being the first woman, first African American, and first South Asian American to hold the office of attorney general in California is historical. We honor individuals who have made historical contributions to the community, and the issues that she stands for parallel our values at the Brotherhood Crusade.”
Bremond-Weaver was tight-lipped about a special treat that event guests will enjoy this year. “I can’t say much, but what I can say is that people will walk away from the event feeling proud of why they support the Brotherhood Crusade,” she said.
The majority of the proceeds raised from the event will go to the organization’s youth development programs. Every youth enrolled in Brotherhood Crusade’s year-round programs is assessed academically, socio-behaviorally and physically prior to enrollment. An individual plan is prepared for all participants outlining their needs in each of these areas. Participants then receive free remedial education, academic assistance, educational enrichment, mental health, and comprehensive health (for them and their families regardless of financial or legal status) services.
As a result, program participants have increased their academic proficiency by 132 percent on average and reduced their incidents of tardiness, truancy, crime, delinquency, and inappropriate behavior. These fee-free programs include Gang Reduction Youth Development Program, Mentor and Me, Brother to Brother, Supplemental Education Services, and March to 1000.
“We focus on helping the youth that everyone else has given up on; these aren’t your A and B students. These are the C, D, and F students, but they are brilliant, and through these programs with the mentoring and tutoring and teaching financial literacy, these at-risk youth benefit and improve,” said Bremond-Weaver.
In addition to the Pioneer Award Dinner, the Brotherhood Crusade has a number of other events planned for the rest of the year, namely the Very Healthy Happy Halloween Party on Oct. 28 on the lawn of the Expo Center at 3980 Bill Robertson Lane. The party will feature alternatives to candy and instead gift youth and families with baskets of fruit. There will also be a farmers market, arcade, and petting zoo for the community to enjoy.
For more information on the Brotherhood Crusade and upcoming events, contact the organization at (323)846-1649 or visit the website at www.brotherhoodcrusade.org.
Founded in 1968, the Brotherhood Crusade’s principal mission is dedicated to building and sustaining an institution that raises funds and resources from within the community and distributes those funds directly back into the community. Brotherhood Crusade has a history of building alliances with other organizations, corporations and foundations of good will that are committed to and understand the tremendous need for helping our community and people grow and prosper.
A few months ago, we reported on state Attorney General Kamala Harris’ championing of homeowner rights in California. She was very large in brokering the $25 billion dollar federal settlement with five big banks earlier this year—JP Morgan-Chase, Bank of America, CitiBank, Wells Fargo, and Ally—all of whom wanted to limit their exposure to suits for consumer fraud and abuse related to foreclosures.
The last time this column visited the affairs of state Attorney General Kamala Harris she was fresh from scoring a significant negotiated victory for beleaguered California homeowners in the federal omnibus settlement with mortgage banks. What has she been up to lately? She has followed up that triumph with a principled, relentless political effort to convince California legislators to pass a Homeowners Bill of Rights.
Kudos to state Attorney General Kamala Harris. She was a real champion for California homeowners this time around. She hung tough, played her cards well and walked off with the biggest slice of the monetary pie for Californians in the recently completed foreclosure mortgage deal struck between the Obama administration and the banking industry. She took the path less traveled, held out for a quantifiable, enforceable deal until the end—and got it.
The process of redrawing the political lines for congressional, as well as the state assembly, senate and Board of Equalization districts is winding down, and the Citizens Redistricting Commission (CRC) now awaits comments from the public on the final preliminary maps.
CRC will vote on the maps Aug. 15.
The African American Redistricting Collaborative will hold a meeting this evening from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the West Angeles Villas to discuss the maps, answer questions and provide direction on what comments residents should forward to the commission.
