The Chicago Defender and United Airlines Presents 2016 Men of Excellence Awards Ceremony on February 5th
Fifty distinguished men will be celebrated by the Chicago Defender family, friends and colleagues for their contributions at work and in the community making a difference in the lives of many.
If Art Norman’s face looks familiar it’s because he’s a fixture at WMAQ Channel 5 newscast spanning some 30 years of broadcast experience and is fast becoming a fixture as the Chicago Defender Men of Excellence Master of Ceremonies. As an alum he shares the pride and honor with the 2016 honorees.
Herb Kent has been affectionately known by his handle to listeners as the ‘Cool Gent’ for decades now and continues to garner much respect and appreciation for his music savvy. He is an urban radio pioneer and radio Hall of Fame inductee. Kent cut his teeth in radio when the DJ’s had power and authority programming their own shows. They could make or break a talent and signal handedly build their own listening audiences based on their music playlist. He is this year’s Men of Excellence Lifetime Achievement Honoree for the excellence he has personified as one of the most important figures in Chicago radio. He not only has been able to entertain and inform listeners on his weekly radio show, he has also opened many doors for African Americans. He has proven to be a bankable commodity and is a living icon.
This year the Chicago Defender initiated its Robert Sengstacke Abbott Humanitarian Award. The first recipient so honored to embody what it represents is Larry Huggins president and CEO of Riteway-Huggins Construction Services Incorporated. He has served as a leader in development, construction management and general contracting for commercial, municipal and residential properties spanning for decades. His humanitarian nature has led him to always give back to the community. One of his pet projects over the past 20 years has been his Christmas in the Wards program through which he has brought so much joy to families who otherwise would not have experienced such at Christmas time. His toy giveaway for the Christmas Holiday is one of the most successful of its kind raising over 2 million dollars and providing Christmas for over 5000 families. He is also co-founder of the Chicago Football Classic which helps to expose o the importance of a quality education and educational opportunities at Historical Black Colleges and Universities.students
Save the date and join us
Friday February 5 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago
for ticket sales call 312.225.2400 . . . Call now, there are just a few seats available
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