Brooklyn Hosts Shirley Chisholm Women Of Distinction Awards To Honor NYC Trail Blazers

BROOKLYN, NY — City council members Laurie Cumbo (Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, Crown Heights) and Jumaane Williams (Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood) will host the fourth annual Shirley Chisholm Women of Distinction awards ceremony to honor New York City women who are paving the path in advocacy and public service.

Women who will be honored are:

• Officer Ronette Benjamin, NYPD Community Affairs Officer for the 63rd Precinct in Brooklyn
• Hon. Lori Knipel, NYS Committee Woman District Leader
• Evelyn Ortiz, Chief External Affairs Officer for Opportunities for Better Tomorrow
• Debbie Almontaser, Founding & Former Principal of the Khalil Gibran International Academy
• Joo-Hyun Kang, Director of Communities United for Police Reform (CPR)
• Carmen Perez, Criminal Justice Reform Activist and Organizer
• Angela Rye, Principal & CEO of IMPACT Strategies, CNN Political Commentator

Assembly Member Diana Richardson, who represents Crown Heights and Lefferts Gardens, will put on a spoken word performance, and Nisha Agarwal, the commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, will give a keynote speech.

Shirley Chisholm was the first African American Congresswoman. The Brooklyn-born leader ran for president in 1972, making her the first woman to ever run for the Democratic Party presidential nomination.

The day after the awards ceremony, on Saturday, the sixth annual Shirley Chisholm Women's Empowerment Conference will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with discussion panels on economic empowerment, housing and gentrification and youth engagement, among others. Buy tickets ($10-$20) for the conference here.

The awards ceremony will be 6 p.m.-8:30 p.m., Friday, March 17 at the Dweck Auditorium in the Brooklyn Public Library Central Branch, 10 Grand Army Plaza. It's free to attend. Register here.

Photo of Shirley Chisholm via Diana Richardson