Mayor Baker is Among Those Honored at the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League's Fifth Annual Lions & Legends Award Ceremony

Posted on  05/25/2012 11:41 am

The Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League (MWUL) presented Wilmington Mayor James M. Baker with the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Award at last night’s fifth annual Equal Opportunity Day Awards Celebration Dinner: Lions and Legends – The Voice of Equity, which was held at the Chase Center. Mayor Baker was honored for his outstanding contributions in government, including his promotion of social and economic equality. Then event was hosted by the Honorable and Mrs. Michael N. Castle, Honorary Co-Chairs.

The Mayor was one of six honorees, “Living Legends,” who exemplify the principles of equal opportunity and leadership qualities that result in positively promoting the cause of equal rights. The other award recipients were Dr. James Newton (James H. Gilliam, Sr. Chairman’s Award, which honors civil rights pioneers), William L. and Dr. Kim L. Allen (James H. Gilliam, Jr. Humanitarian Award, which recognizes individuals for their outstanding community contributions), Lawrence “Moon” Roane (Littleton P. Mitchell Community Services Award, which honors outstanding volunteerism), and Andrew McKnight (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Next Generation Leadership Award, which recognizes those who have demonstrated sustainable leadership and show promise for continuing service).

The mission of the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League (MWUL) is to empower people of color to achieve economic self-reliance, parity, power and civil rights. The MWUL seeks to address the problems of equality and fairness by assuring that those who influence change represent the broader community and understand the economic and social realities facing people of color. “We are so pleased to honor the Legacy of Dr. King by celebrating six Delawareans who have fought to improve opportunities and equity in our community,” said Deborah T. Wilson, President and CEO of the MWUL.

Founded in 1910, the National Urban League is the nation’s oldest and largest community-based movement devoted to empowering African Americans to enter the economic and social mainstream. The Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League (MWUL) was founded in 1999 by civil rights veteran James H. Gilliam, Sr., a former member of the National Urban League’s Board of Trustees. The Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League is Delaware’s premier advocate for people of color. The MWUL works to achieve its mission by empowering people through the Urban Community Empowerment Initiative. This initiative focuses on closing racial gaps, primarily in the areas of education, health and economic empowerment.

For more information on the MWUL, visit www.MWUL.org.