Women Cultivating Women 2010 Awards Luncheon Sends Strong Message to Women about Relationships

March 30, 2010 - PRLog -- Contact: Antoinette Colón at 610-399-2121
Email: acolon@cheyney.edu

CHEYNEY, PA (March 29, 2010) — Cheyney University of Pennsylvania was proud to host the Fourth Annual Women Cultivating Women (WCW) 2010 Award Ceremony on Saturday, March 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Carnegie Hall.
The theme was: “Words of Wisdom: Helping Young Women to Understand the Impact of the Decisions They Make in Their Life,” with two keynote speakers who are both prominent figures in the Philadelphia judicial system: Honorable Jacqueline Frazier-Lyde and Deborah Watson-Stokes, Esq., Assistant District Attorney.
The two speakers’ collective message shared dangers women encounter by relationships with the wrong men through guilt by association and the trouble with the law that they encounter as a result.
The first speaker, Hon. Frazier-Lyde, explained the multitude of crimes that she has seen in her courtroom where ignorance is no excuse for the law.  She said, “Women have a predisposition to be nurturers.  Some these bad relationships allow women to get roped into the criminal justice system.”
The second speaker, Ms. Watson-Stokes, described the brutal death of a woman at the hands of her love interest.  She said, “Women will die if they love the wrong person.  Love yourself by respecting your good name in the criminal justice system.  Avoiding the system will ultimately save your life.”
During the luncheon portion of the program, guests viewed and independent film by Gwen Ragsdale entitled: “Lest We Forget: My Sister Slave Myself.”
The awards portion of the program honored CU President Dr. Michelle R. Howard-Vital. She will receive the “Mary McLeod Bethune Award.” Mary McLeod Bethune was an American educator and civil rights leader.
Dr. Howard-Vitals states, “It is always humbling to be honored for work that you love. I will work even harder to develop future leaders for the Commonwealth and the nation. And I will endeavor to do more.”
Other honorees include Lady B, Philadelphia Radio Personality (WRNB-107.9) received the “Music Pioneer Award.” Honorable Lori Dumas, Philadelphia Court System, received the Juvenile Justice Award. MoShay LoRen, also a Philadelphia Radio Personality (WRNB 107-.9) received the “Empowerment Award” and Gwen Ragsdale, of the Black Holocaust Museum of Slavery; received the “Historian Award.”
Linda Page, M.S., author of “The Hart of a Champion: Love, Pain & Passion, was one of the distinguished guests at the event that yielded over 40 attendees.
Event sponsors included: State Senator Shirley M. Kitchen, 3rd district of Philadelphia; Ewenique Productions, Fred Johnson and Company Tax Service, Motivos Bilingual Magazine, Marino’s Auto Repair Center, Black Male Development Symposium and more.
Women Cultivating Women (WCW) has been in existence since January 2007.  Their mission is to strengthen intergenerational relationships among women and to empower girls from various socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds on social and gender specific topics.
Each year WCW hosts an annual awards ceremony that recognizes the work of highly visible and unsung heroines in the tri-state region.

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About Cheyney University
Cheyney University is the nation’s oldest historically Black institution of higher education. It is also the only Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE.) Now celebrating its 26th year, PASSHE comprises Pennsylvania’s 14 public universities, with a combined enrollment of more than 112,500, making it the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth. At its inception, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania successfully provided free classical education for qualified young people, and today the university offers baccalaureate degrees in more than 30 disciplines and six master’s degree programs. For more information, please visit the website at http://www.cheyney.edu.