SCLC MLK Legacy Awards & Virtual Gala 2021

As we come together tonight we celebrate, commemorate and receive the call to action. This has been a challenging year for SCLC-SC, like many of you. We have a health crises, police violence against Black men, a pandemic and the con- tinued proliferation of white su- premacy. IT’S A NEW DAY can only be expressed in our hope about the incoming administration and the power within us to over- come all of the vicissitudes that have stood, and are standing, in our way. Tonight we must proclaim that we will bring on this NEW DAY with a focus to build the beloved community. That is what Dr. King dreamed and what we have the capacity to do. This year we will continue in our foundational work. Youth Development , economic empowerment, educational enrichment, employment enhance- ment, and voter and political advocacy. Working through our various enti- ties, Hurting and Hungry Charities, SCLC-SC Poor people’s Campaign, the Women of SCLC-SC, and the MLK Young Dreamers for Justice, we will continue to give and fight for the marginalized, disenfranchised and vulnerable to bring about the Beloved Community. Join us as we moved forward in the spirit of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. Pastor William D. Smart Jr. Co-Pastor Christ Liberation Ministries President/ CEO Southern Christian Leadership Conference -Southern California 1

Anne-Marie Johnson was the 2017 recipient of the SCLC-SC Rosa Parks Humanitarian Award. She is back this year in service as our Mistress of Ceremony. Ms. Johnson is an accomplished actress who has and continues to have a very busy career in film and on television. She is a Los Angeles native and UCLA alum. Ms. Johnson is well known for her starring roles in The Heat of the Night, What’s Happening Now and for five seasons she portrayed Congresswoman “Bobbie Latham” on the military drama JAG. She can be seen in the TNT series Murder in The First. Ms. Johnson’s feature credits include Hollywood Shuffle, True Identity, Down in the Delta and Pursuit of Happiness – just to name a few. Ms. Johnson is a union leader and a social justice and community activist. She served as a national board member of the Screen Actors Gild and 4-term first vice president. She also served on the board of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA). SAG-AFTRA has now joined together to form one unit. In 2016, she was the first Black actor or actress to receive the Ralph Morgan Award from SAG-AFTRA, which is the highest hon- or given to members or staff who go above and beyond in service to the membership. Ms. Johnson was one of the creators of “The African-American Report” which studies issues that concern Afri- can-American primetime performers and was SAG’s EEOC Na- tional Chair. Ms. Johnson serves as Co-Chair and Parliamentarian of her Neighborhood Council. 2

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Phillip Washington Drum Major for Justice Award       As Metro’s CEO, Phil Washington manages a balanced budget in excess of $7 billion, is responsible for overseeing be- tween$18-$20 billion in capital projects, and provides over- sight of an agency with 11,000 employees that transports 1.2 million boarding passengers daily on a leet of 2,200 clean-air buses and six rail lines. Metro is the lead transportation planning, programming and inancing agency for LA county. Washington was a key leader in the 2016 successful effort to pass Measure M, a half-cent sales tax in LA County which garnered 71.15% voter approval. Measure M will allow Metro to build 40 major highway and transit projects over the next 40 years, create 778,000 jobs and provide $133.3 billion in economic impact for the region. Washington came to Los Angeles from Denver, where he served as the CEO of Denver Re- gional Transportation District between 2009 and 2015. He was previously the assistant general manager of RTD for nearly 10 years before being named CEO. Washington has received numerous prestigious assignments and honors. In 2019, he testi- ied before the full U.S. Congressional Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, was honored with the Eddy Award for Outstanding Leadership in Economic Development and was awarded the prestigious CORO Crystal Eagle Award for a “Legacy of Leadership.” In 2018, he was awarded the Honorable Ray LaHood Award (former U.S. Secretary of Trans- portation) by the national Women in Transportation Seminar (WTS) for his outstanding contribution in promoting opportunities to advance and advocate for women in the trans- portation industry. In 2012, President Obama named him a White House Transportation Innovators Champion of Change. Washington is a 24-year veteran of the United States Army, where he held the rank of Command Sergeant Major. He holds a B.A. in Business from Columbia College, an M.A. in Management from Webster University and is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School for Executives. He is also a part of President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team. A trailblazer and a warrior, Phil Washington is a leader and an innovator for justice and op- portunities, equity and advancement for the entire beloved community. 4

Dr. Daniel Black WomEn of SCLC-SC Black Literary Award Dr. Daniel Black is an award-winning novelist. His works are inspired by African American life, history, and heritage in the South- encompassing themes of race, religion, and sexuality. Born in Kansas City, Kansas in 1965, Black grew up in Arkansas where he was raised by his great grandmother. He credits her with inspiring him to write stories that transform and uplift humanity. The brilliantly told lessons we learn in his books – The Coming, Per- fect Peace, and Twelve Gates to The City do just that – transform and uplift. Black attended Clark College in Atlanta, and upon graduation he was awarded a full schol- arship to Temple University, where he earned a master’s and a doctorate degree, both in African American Studies. Black, who lives in Atlanta, is a professor of African American studies and English at his alma mater Clark Atlanta University and at Morehouse College, where he has mentored burgeoning writers and scholars since 1993. Black is also the founder of Ndugu and Nzinga Rites of Passage Nation, a mentoring socie- ty that teaches character and the principles to African American youth. Within that socie- ty, Dr. Black is known as Omotosho Jojomani. 5

PASTOR JOHN CAGER REV. THOMAS KILGORE, JR. PROPHETIC WITNESS AWARD Reverend John Edward Cager was named Pastor of Ward African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Ange- les in March of 2015. Pastor Cager’s public ministry started 31 years ago under the leadership of Rev. Cecil “Chip” Murray of First African Methodist Episcopal Church. He served as Youth Minis- ter, and Project Manager for the FAME Renaissance Program. Since his appointment to Ward AME Church, Pastor Cager has focused the congrega- tion on a three-pronged approach to church growth; 1) spirited worship, 2) service beyond the walls of the church to the greater community, and 3) complete transpar- ency in the iscal and administrative operations of the church. In 13 months, signi i- cant new ministries were launched to minister to victims of domestic violence, the homeless and ex-offenders. New revenue streams were developed with the resources tasked to upgrading the physical plant. Over three million dollars in delinquent debt and aged invoices have been satis ied and, again, most importantly, the church is bap- tizing new converts every month. Ward AME – which was the founding site of the Cold/Wet Weather Shelter Program for the Homeless in 1987 – resumed hosting the program under Cager and houses 150 homeless persons nightly from November through March every year. An activist and organizer since his days as a college student, Reverend Cager estab- lished a reputation as a strong, Bible- based preacher and a capable administrator. Cager currently serves as the President of The Los Angeles Council of Religious Lead- ers, the President of the Southern California Conference Ministerial Alliance and serves on several other boards. He has received numerous awards and recognitions, including “Pastor of the Year.” A political junkie, Cager has previously served as a Del- egate to the Democratic National Convention. Married for 24 years to Kinette (Gillespie) – Financial Secretary for CONN-M-SWAWO, the Cagers have a son, Les, a daughter, Kimberly, and a granddaughter, Chase. 6

Rev. BARBARA R. ARNWINE, ESQ ROSA PARKS AWARD Barbara R. Arnwine, Esq, President & Founder of the Transformative Justice Coalition, is internationally re- nowned for contributions on critical justice issues includ- ing the passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1991 and the 2006 reauthorization of provisions of the Voting Rights Act. Currently, she also serves as Co-Chair and Facilitator of the National Commission for Voter Justice, the Millennial Votes Matters Convenings and the Voting Rights Alliance. She was the head of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law from February, 1989 until June, 2015 and holds the honori ic title of President Emeri- tus. She has served as the Charles Hamilton Chair for the North Carolina Central University School of Law from 2016-2017 and has also taught at Columbia University School of Law. She also created the legendary Voting Rights “Map of Shame” in 2011, which exposed the new modern wave of voter suppression in the states. Her groundbreaking civil rights and human rights advocacy has been honored with many prestigious awards. She is the radio host of Igniting Change, has a regular presence in the national media, and is often quoted in the press. A graduate of Scripps College and Duke University School of Law, she continues to champion civil rights and racial justice issues nationally and internationally in the areas of housing and lending, women’s rights, especially issues affecting intersectionality and Af- rican American women and girls, community development, employment, voting, education, policing restructuring, and environmental justice. Ms. Arnwine’s work also includes immigrant rights, judicial diversity, criminal justice re- form, racial pro iling, health care disparities and LBGTQIA rights. A prominent leader in the civil and human rights community, she ights for the preservation of af irmative action and diversity programs. She is also an outspoken voice about the need for reparations for Afri- can descendants in the Americas. Arnwine launched “Igniting Change with Barbara Arnwine” in March 2015. The show pro- vides provocative and empowering information and discussion designed to ignite change and inspire action in achieving racial justice, social justice and equality. A pace-setter, a ighter and an empowering voice, Ms. Arnwine played a huge role in turn- ing the state of Georgia for the Democrats in the 2020 and 2021 elections. 7

Erma “Granny” Hall Wood MLK Community Service Award Erma Hall Wood, affectionately called Granny by those younger and older than her. She knew since she was a young girl growing up in Houston, Texas, that she wanted to work in the ield of nursing and health care. When she was denied entrance because of segregation into Samuel Austin College for their nursing program, she decided to come West to the City of Angels. She attended Los Angeles Community College and graduated from Cal State Los Angeles with a degree in Health Services. She spent the majority of her career working in health care for the County of Los Ange- les. Because of her fearless voice and leadership abilities, she was asked to join Local 721 of the SEIU Union. Granny was a pre-eminent front-line voice on healthcare, work- ers’ rights and racism, and fought tirelessly to improve the standard of living for health care and service workers in Los Angeles County. She has been involved with voter registration, campaigns for both the union and govern- ment; she can be seen passing out meals at local food banks and homeless shelters, she has worked on programs for the mentally ill as well as persons living with AIDS. Granny is a proud and devoted member, friend and volunteer with SCLC So Cal, and con- siders it an honor to carry on with the work started by Dr. King and Rep. John Lewis dec- ades ago. “Being involved with SCLC -SoCal is one of the joys of my life. It gives me purpose, because we are the community.”   8

WONMAN JOSEPH WILLIAMS Millennial Justice Award “Joseph Williams is a Core Team Member of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles. He is also the Director of Operations and Campaigns with Students Deserve, a grassroots or- ganization of students, teachers, and parents ighting against the School to Prison/Deportation Pipeline in LA. In 2012, Wonman Joseph Williams was called “America’s rarest athlete” by Sports writ- ers and his professors at University of Virginia, where he was a defensive back on a Divi- sion 1 football team and a fulltime student. Wonman, which mean full harmony in Korean, staged a hunger strike for the “Living Wages Campaign” for Campus workers who were barely scraping by on minimum wage. He was 19 years old at the time. His professors marveled when he became the irst ath- lete enrolled in the Political and Social Thought Department. Joseph has been an activist for half of his life. He’s worked on the Peoples Budget LA, which calls for concrete steps to end racism em- bedded in government structures, particularly in the criminal justice system. Criminali- zation and mass incarceration are very important to him, and he continues to use his voice for those that have been murdered, locked up and brutalized by the system until it truly recognizes that Black Lives Matter. He is currently working with Students Deserve to end policing in The Los Angeles Uni- ied Schools. Says Joseph, “Our students deserve to attend schools that have more ser- vices, programs and equipment, not more police. We must vote and we must hold poli- ticians and elected of icials responsible. If voting didn’t matter, my ancestors would not have fought marched, died, and given their blood, sweat and tears for the right to vote. The Montgomery Bus Boycott lasted a year. We will continue protesting until real and signi icant changes are made.” 9

Virtual Art Walk Mistress of Ceremony - Anne-Marie Johnson Welcome – Ron Herrera, L.A. County Federation of Labor Prayer/Invocation – Rev. K.W. Tulloss, Baptist Ministers Conference Opening Remarks – Pastor William D. Smart, Jr. COVID-19 Update - Nurse Adesia Musical Performance Young Dreamers for Justice PRESENTATION OF HONOREES Pastor John Cager - Introduced by Pastor William Monroe Campbell Erma “Granny” Hall Wood - Intro by Bob Schoonover Dr. Daniel Black – Intro by Pastor Thembekila Smart Phil Washington – Intro by Pastor William D. Smart, Jr. Barbara Arnwine, Esq. – Intro by Pastor William D. Smart, Jr. Wonman Joseph Williams – Intro by Dr. Melina Abdullah SCLC Membership & Donations - The Parkers Keynote Address - Barbara Arnwine, Esq. Presentation to SCLC Daily Prayer Team Kimberly Bolanile Paggett on behalf of Alice Goff Closing Remarks and Acknowledgements - Pastor William D. Smart, Jr. Benediction - Najeeba Syeed Musical Performance 10

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We Salute Your Leadership and Unwavering Commitment to Social Justice 2021 14

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NATIONAL SCLC PRESIDENTS 1957 – 1968 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 1968 – 1977 Rev. Ralph D. Abernathy 1977 – 1997 Rev. Joseph E. Lowery 1997 – 2004 Martin Luther King III 2004 Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth 2004 – 2009 Dr. Charles Steele, Jr. 2009 – 2011 Howard W. Creecy, Jr. 2011 – Present Dr. Charles Steele, Jr. EXECUTIVE BOARD SCLC - SO CAL PRESIDENT & CEO Pastor William D. Smart, Jr. Co-Pastor Christ Liberation Ministries Executive Director, Hurting & Hungry Association VICE CHAIRPERSON Rev. William Monroe Campbell Sr. Pastor, Mt. Gilead Missionary Baptist Church TREASURER & CO-CHAIR LABOR COMMITTEE Anton Farmby Vice President, SEIU USWW SECRETARY Jamie E. Wright, Esq. CHAIRPERSON FINANCE COMMITTEE John Ek CHAPLAIN Pastor James Baylark sclc-sc.org 23

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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Virtual Legacy Awards and Benefit Gala King Week 2021 Executive Producer Pastor William D. Smart, Jr. SCLC-SC, President & CEO Pastor Thembekila Crystal Coleman- Smart Director of Women of SCLC-SC Program and Awards Coordinator Script Writer and Organizer Director of Creative Content Visual and Gallery Curator Alice Goff Radical King Honorary Chairperson Clergy for Black Lives Marketing VIDEO PRODUCTION CREDITS Arnetta Mack Ross Jordan Mack Enterprises Unlimited Graphic Design Technical Director Digital Journal, Event Collateral Video Editor Visual Effects Billboards Chris Tucker Post Production House Technical Support www.EDITyourVIDEO.com Gala Dinner Coordination Production Studio Jamie Wright GOASTAFA Productions Sandi Cook Robin Cole Live Streaming by ONDA SPOT LIVE Dinner Delivery Coordination Assistant Editors Martin Manteca Kimberly Bolanile Paggett Felipe Caceres Jesus Garcia Arnetta Mack Produced and Directed By Members of SEIU 721 Gala Dinner Provided by Ian Foxx Dulan’s Soul Food Restaurant Photography/Videography KING WEEK EVENTS COORDINATION Ian Foxx Founder’s Day Writer/Production Assistant Annetta Wells Tina Louise Stephens Community Economic Empowerment Production Support with L.A. South Chamber of Commerce Arnetta Mack Arnetta Mack The Voice of God/Voice Over Narration Black Women Power with Black Women for Kimberly Bolanile Paggett Wellness Ron Brewington Pastor Thembekila Smart Nourbese Flint, Black Woman for Wellness Kimberly Bolanile Paggett Interfaith Prayer Breakfast Nile Publishing House LLC Sandi Cook Creative Content Young Dreamers for Justice Script Writer/Editor Graphics Designer  Jehoshua-Jireh Smart Ella Rosenson Digital Journal DesignED by Mack Enterprises Unlimited www.mackenterprises.net

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