Photo 1: New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. and Roberta Flack, Grammy Award-winning Singer, Songwriter, and Activist, at his African-American Heritage and Culture celebration at SEIU 32 BJ Headquarters on Tuesday, March 15, 2005.

Photo 2: (left to right) are: New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. with honorees and co-sponsors at his African-American Heritage and Culture celebration at SEIU 32 BJ Headquarters on Tuesday, March 15, 2005. Pictured (left to right) are: Hazel N. Dukes, President, The Metropolitan Council of the New York State Conference of NAACP Branches; Shelia Evans-Tranumn, Associate Commissioner, New York State Education Department; Albert C. Wiltshire, Chair, Brooklyn Division, Madison Square Boys & Girls Club, and Manager, Government Relations, KeySpan; David Ushery, Anchor/Reporter, WNBC-TV; Thompson; Rev. Edwin Reed, Minister & CEO, Greater Allen Cathedral; and, Laura Smalls-McNamee, Design Director, Outerwear & Rainwear, Jones New York.

Photo credit: Marla Maritzer.

New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. honored Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and activist Roberta Flack and five New Yorkers at his African-American History Month celebration on Tuesday, March 15, 2005. The event – which drew a crowd of more than 500 people – was co-sponsored by the Metropolitan Council of Branches of the New York State Conference of the NAACP and the New York Urban League.

Thompson started the evening by citing the poem “Let America Be America Again,” by legendary author and poet Langston Hughes. Thompson noted that Hughes, who was angered by unequal treatment and opportunity, spoke of dreams for a better world for future generations.

“I share this belief. I share this belief because I see the power of dreams at work every day in our city,” Thompson said to those gathered at Local 32 BJ SEIU in Manhattan. “Dreams are alive in communities throughout the five boroughs from families who are sending a son or daughter to college for the first time, to immigrants building new lives for themselves in a new land.”

Thompson described the evening’s honorees as role models and “a distinguished group of New Yorkers who have demonstrated through their actions and their words that they are brave enough to stand up for justice and equal opportunity and make dreams come true for themselves and others.”

The Comptroller presented Grammy-winning singer and songwriter Roberta Flack with his Creative Image Award. “Ms. Flack has been an outspoken supporter of many charitable efforts, and is an active participant in an advocacy organization working for artists’ rights,” Thompson said. Ms. Flack has performed throughout the world and won Grammies for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal.

Thompson presented the Lifetime Achievement for Outstanding Public Service to William C. Thompson, who is his father. “He is respected and admired in all four corners of the city, and has been an inspiration to countless people in the example he sets and the life he leads,” Comptroller Thompson said. Mr. Thompson is a member of the court-appointed panel charged with developing a framework for reassessing the distribution of education funding in New York State.

Thompson presented the Distinguished Service Award to broadcast journalist David Ushery, who is the co-anchor of WNBC’s “Weekend Today in New York,” which is NBC’s top-rated weekend news program. Ushery also files reports for WNBC’s various newscasts. He described Ushery’s “extraordinary commitment to community service through his volunteer work in Harlem as a tutor for local pre-teen students.”

The next award for Distinguished Service went to Shelia Evans-Tranumn, Associate Commissioner for the New York State Education Department. Ms. Evans-Tranumn manages the New York City Office of School and Community Services and is responsible for the direction and coordination of state educational services in New York City Schools. “She has achieved great heights as an educator by helping our schools meet the challenge of providing high-quality educational services,” Thompson said.

The final award was presented to Albert C. Wiltshire, who is the Manager of Government Relations for the KeySpan Corporation and serves as a liaison between the company and communities in New York City. “He provides vital services on behalf of the people of New York and is a valued community leader,” Thompson said. Mr. Wiltshire is active in the community and works with the Brooklyn Navy Yard Boys and Girls Club, serves as treasurer of the Bridge Street Development Corporation, and is the Vice President of the MetroTech Business Improvement District. He also is the former chairman of the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation.

Photos from the event are available either on the Comptroller’s website at www.comptroller.nyc.gov or by calling Marla Maritzer at (212) 669-2597.

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