Society`

EVENTS New York’s UNCF raises over $300K for HBCUs via “A Mind Is...”® Gala

By Audrey J. Bernard Society Editor

On Thursday, March 4, 2021, over 350 guests participated in the New York United Negro College Fund‘s (UNCF) virtual gala to raise critical funds to help students earn college degrees at the organization’s annual “A Mind Is...”® Gala. The online fundraiser was one of many across the United States raising funds to help students realize their dreams of a college education via HBCUs and many other colleges and universities across the United States. The success of the event exceeded all expectations raising over $300,000 to help local students in need get to and through college at some of the nation’s most important resources for students of color—historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

This event is always one of New York’s finest but due to the pandemic, UNCF’s vital fundraising events have had to scale down and move online. However, the virtual production did not lose its luster and was fabulous as ever even raising the bar for others to follow!

Black magnificence prevailed from start to finish! Infinity Song, a group on the rise recently signed by Roc Nation, got the evening started with “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Michelle Miller, co-host of CBS This Morning: Saturday, kept the event moving without missing a beat! Miller’s team at CBS provided a great video featuring HBCU alumni Stacey Abrams. Kudos to the Taylor Company for the fabulous gala video featuring UNCF Scholar Sydney Green. Miller also introduced esteemed presenters Michael R. Bloomberg, Mellody Hobson, and Dr. Michael L. Lomax.

During the program filled with pomp and purpose, honorees were recognized for helping to advance educational opportunities for African Americans and their commitment to UNCF’s mission of uplifting HBCUs and empowering deserving, talented students to earn college degrees. This year’s honorees included: Thasunda Brown Duckett, CEO, Chase Consumer Banking, received the Leadership Award; PepsiCo, was presented with the Corporate Partner Award; and Dennis M. Walcott, president and CEO, Queens Public Library, was recipient of the Shirley Chisholm Award for Community Service. “UNCF is the premier organization that is helping to level the playing field for all,” stated Walcott.

In his greeting to the audience, Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO, UNCF referred to profound challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. “Honestly, I thought that UNCF and some of our HBCUs would be permanently damaged. But across our country, hundreds of thousands of donors, allies, and New Yorkers like you stepped up to ensure that our HBCUs and our students would have much needed support. Because we share a profound belief, namely, that “A mind is a terrible thing to waste, but a wonderful thing to invest in.”®

The success of an event of this size draws from many supporters and sponsors. Sponsors for the UNCF “A Mind Is…” New York Gala included: Presenting Sponsor, JPMorgan Chase; Gold Sponsors —American Express, Bloomberg Philanthropies, BNY Mellon, Citi, Colgate, Delta Air Lines, PepsiCo, Taylor; Silver Sponsors— Foot Locker Foundation, Sony Corporation of America; Bronze Sponsors— AlixPartners, Penguin Random House, Schroders, Sourcepass, and Walton Family Foundation.

“We thank our sponsors for their support of this important and vital event,” Diego Aviles, vice president, development, UNCF said. “Especially during the pandemic, their critical efforts on our behalf will certainly help enable better futures for our students.” The exquisite evening ended with Grammy award-nominated singer and songwriter, Kenny Lattimore’s beautiful rendition of “Smile.”

To learn more about UNCF’s work in the Northeast, contact Diego Aviles at diego.aviles@uncf.org.

About UNCF

UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs, supports and strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other historically Black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding near-

ly 20% of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students atover 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized trademark, ‟A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news follow UNCF on Twitter at @UNCF.

Honoree Thasunda Brown Duckett

Corporate Honoree PepsiCo Honoree Dennis Walcott

Presenter Mike Bloomberg

Presenter Mellody Hobson Performer Infinity Song

HARLEM COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

CLARA HALE: Unconditional Mother Love

Mother Clara Hale

By Hazel Rosetta Smith Clara McBride was born in 1905 in Elizabeth City, North Carolina and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Upon graduation from high school, Clara married Thomas Hale and moved to New York City. She birthed two children Nathan and Lorraine and later adopted Kenneth. When her husband Thomas died, Clara was forced to support her family as a domestic worker and provided day care services for her neighbors’ children for two dollars a week.

In the early 40’s her heart turned to concern for neglected and abandoned children. This was the official start of opening her home to babies that were not her own. In addition, Clara would search the community for permanent housing for homeless children and she was adamant in teaching new parents essential parenting skills. She was a pioneer in self-help efforts to delve into the untapped potential of disadvantaged women taking care of their own.

By 1960 Hale would receive a license as a foster parent giving her legal rights to care for children in her home. In 1969, she gave shelter to an infant whose mother could no longer care for her because of her addiction to heroin. This woman represented what would become the beginning of an extraordinary legacy of caring for children. Clara became the foster parent of her first infant addicted to cocaine.

In response to the avalanche of drugs throughout Harlem, she created what would become a groundbreaking foster care program called Hale House in her Harlem brownstone at 152 West 122nd Street, to nurture babies born into dire circumstances. The program required mothers to live in Hale House with their children, go to drug rehab and participate in instruction at the House on how to improve the health of their babies.

It was at this time Clara earned the nickname “Mother Hale” for the intensive love she held for the babies and the mothers she refused to forsake. Every baby had a turn being rocked to sleep in the arms of Mother. Doctors at Harlem Hospital were amazed at what they termed a “miraculous” turnaround in the condition of the babies born with drug addictions after time spent in the loving care of Mother Hale. Hugging the babies and showing deep affection for them soon became a volunteer program at the hospital.

In the 1980’s, as the urban drug problem gave way to the AIDS crisis, Hale House responded by taking in children who had lost their parents to the disease or who were themselves born infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Her good care of the HIV babies circulated in communities ravaged by the epidemic all the way to the White House. In 1985, during President Ronald Reagan’s State of the Union Address, he referred to Mother Clara Hale as an “American hero” for her commitment to at-risk children.

By 1991, Hale House had cared for approximately 1,000 infants and toddlers. The Hale name continued to soar receiving accolades of honors, awards, and support. Clara received an honorary doctorate from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and public service awards from numerous religious and social organizations. She had unselfishly responded to the challenges that struggling families had to endure due to the crippling effects of poverty.

Clara Hale died at the age of 87 on December 18, 1992 in Harlem. She was hailed in the community as a childcare worker, social activist, and a woman with the heart of a mother for all children. I believe, she epitomized what is written in the book of Matthew 19:14 - But Jesus said, “Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come to me for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” With great respect, I include the name Mother Clara Hale in the 2021 salute to Women’s History Month. [Hazel Rosetta Smith is a journalist, playwright, artistic director of HRS Speaks; retired former Managing Editor and Woman’s Editor of the New York Beacon News and current columnist for Harlem Community News, Inc. Contact: misshazel@twc.com]

Hale House in Harlem