Camden Activist Helene Pierson to Receive Drum Major Award at King Day Service

Jan. 10, 2013 - PRLog -- WHEN:          Monday, January 21, 2013 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

WHERE:       Bethel United Methodist Church, 3901 Westfield Avenue, Camden, N.J.

WHAT:                    Helene Pierson, executive director of the Heart of Camden, will receive      a “Drum Major for Justice Award” at a tribute service honoring civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. She is part of the community group Camden: Stop the Trauma, Violence and Murder. She has been an advocate against violence and an activist in South Camden where she has worked tirelessly to improve the neighborhood.

The theme for the service is “Moving Forward: Leaning on Justice, Hope and Democracy.”  The service coincides with the inauguration of President Barack Obama, and several chapter members plan to travel to Washington, D.C. to participate in the celebration. Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Burlington-Camden Alumni Chapter, is a co-sponsor of the service.

“As we honor the legacy and work of Dr. King, President Obama will be sworn in for a second term, as the country’s first black President,” said AKA Chapter President Melanie L. Burney.   “This is a wonderful way to celebrate the progress this nation has made. But lest we forget, the struggle is not over and we cannot rest until Dr. King’s dream is fully recognized.”

In keeping with their tradition of service, sorority members will donate canned goods and help bag food for senior members of St. John Baptist Church, recognition that the King holiday is “A day on, not a day off.”

The Rev. Tynisha Camae Drennon, pastor of the Campbell AME Church in Woodbury, N.J., will deliver the keynote address.  She is the first female preacher selected to give the address.