Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. Announces The 2013 Sapphire Award Honorees

Jan. 29, 2013 - PRLog -- Boston, MA – The Suffolk County Alumni Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity is pleased to announce the 2013 Sapphire Award Honorees.  They will receive the coveted Sapphire Award, it’s the chapter’s highest honor given to non-members in the areas of education, business, social action who have shown to have dedicated their lives to the uplift of others in their communities.  

The honorees are as follows:

·         Dr. Nteri Nelson, Adjunct Professor of UMass Boston

·         Teri Williams, President of One United Bank

·         Cindy Diggs, Founder of Peace Boston.

These dynamic individuals will be honored during the fraternity’s Annual Tribute to Black Women & Sapphire Awards Ceremony held at Northeastern University, John D. O’Bryant African American Institute, 40 Leon Street, Boston, MA 02115 on Thursday February 28, 2013.

This special evening will be filled with food, poetry, song and ancient African traditions that will honor and pay homage to the past, present and future achievements of women. The keynote address will be given by Darnell L. Williams, President/CEO of the Urban League of Eastern MA.  The event is free and open to the public with the reception starting promptly at 5:30PM and the program begins at 6PM.

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Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C., January 9, 1914, by three young African-American male students. The founders, Honorable A. Langston Taylor, Honorable Leonard F. Morse, and Honorable Charles I. Brown, wanted to organize a Greek letter fraternity that would truly exemplify the ideals of brotherhood, scholarship, and service. Since 1935, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity has been dedicated to strong bonds of brotherhood, living with integrity, serving humanity, promoting quality education and developing leaders in Massachusetts. Phi Beta Sigma consists of over 200,000 collegiate and professional men with 700 chapters in the United States, African, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE 2013 SAPPIRE AWARD HONOREES

EDUCATION  –  Dr. Nteri Nelson, Adjunct Professor at the University of Massachusetts in the Africana Studies Department.

Dr. Nteri Nelson is a Teacher of the African origins of the Ancient wisdom, Metaphysician and Clinician. She is co-founder of, The Academy of Kemetic Education and Wellness, Right Relationship Right Knowledge, Ma’at, Inc. where she teaches an African Centered Educational Model for Psychological, Spiritual, Character and Human development which is underpinned by the History of Ancient Africa/Kemet (Egypt) and the Diaspora, as a way of Self knowledge, healing and health. Her classes on the Application of the Ancient Wisdom in Modern Daily Living are helping others find solutions to life’s challenges.

She is a licensed Clinician, she has worked in the Behavioral/Mental Health field for the last 30 years.  She provides counseling and consultation to: individuals, couples, families, groups and agencies, working tirelessly for the preservation of the family.

BUSINESS – Teri Williams, President of  OneUnited Bank

Teri Williams is President and serves on the Board of Directors of OneUnited Bank. She is responsible for implementation of the Bank’s strategic initiatives, as well as the day to day operations of the bank. She has over 25 years of financial services expertise from premier institutions such as Bank of America and American Express, where she was one of the youngest Vice Presidents. Ms. Williams holds an M.B.A. with honors from Harvard University and a B.A. with distinctions from Brown University. She has served as Treasurer of Dimock Community Health Center in Roxbury, MA for over 5 years. Ms. Williams is author of I Got Bank! What My Granddad Taught Me About Money (Beckham Publishing) a financial literacy book for urban youth.

Under her leadership, OneUnited Bank has consolidated the local names and product offerings of four (4) banks to create a powerful national brand supported by innovative products and services. She believes the financial services industry has not connected with urban communities to fully support economic development and wealth building. OneUnited Bank serves as a bridge by offering affordable financial services for all and financial workshops.

SOCIAL ACTION – Cindy Diggs, Founder of Peace Boston

Cindy Diggs is fondly known by the Hip-Hop community as ‘Mother Hip-Hop’.  She is the founder of Peace Boston. It is youth peace movement, comprised of members of the Hip-Hop community, youth workers and youth, unifies local organizations that are working with youth throughout the city of Boston. Peace Boston organized a series of events that promoted peace in 2006. Due to the shortage of grant funding, the group decided to be proactive about creating fund-raising efforts in hopes that donations would keep Boston’s youth involved in positive programming.

Their current endeavor is the Peace in the Streets CD which raises funds for the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute and youth programming in Boston. The CDs are currently being sold by the Stylists for Peace located at fifteen hair salons and barbershops in Boston and Cambridge.