10/20/2023
ANNOUNCING 2023 DENISE STENNIS AWARDS HONOREES
At the Denise Stennis Awards ceremony next Friday, October 27, Breakin' It Down will recognize three awardees and five honorable mentions whose leadership excellence and commitment to advancing racial equity in nonprofit, philanthropy, and fundraising reverberate throughout the field and in Chicago’s broader society. Their achievements inspire others to make similar contributions to the field. The honorees were selected based on nominations from their peers and community members. The awards ceremony will held as part of the Breakin' It Down 20th Anniversary Conference at Malcolm X College.
Delivering opening remarks for the event will be Sharon Bush, president of the Grand Victoria Foundation, whose mission is to empower communities to ensure Illinois is a great place to live and work and which envisions a strong, livable, and equitable Illinois where every resident has an opportunity to thrive.
Deborah Bennett, senior program officer of the Polk Bros. Foundation and Denise Stennis Award recipient in 2022, and Cristina De La Rosa, executive director of Erie Neighborhood House, the inaugural Denise Stennis Award organization recipient in 2019, will present this year's awards.
“We are delighted to welcome Sharon Bush, who was named the inaugural recipient of the Denise Stennis Award in 2019; Deborah; and Cristina to the awards ceremony to help recognize this year’s Denise Stennis Awards honorees, all of whom are fighting courageous and unapologetic battles on intersectional issues to advance racial equity in the field and lift our communities,” said Lee Ann Eiland, Awards Committee chair and lead consultant at Eiland & Associates. “Their leadership and dedication stand as a reminder of the legacy of Denise Stennis and her hope to shape a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive future for the field and Chicago’s communities.”
“For us, honoring the memory of Denise Stennis is a must. She co-founded this conference with her fellows so that nonprofit professionals who are not only established but also emerging in their careers and in the field could learn and grow together in spaces that centered Black, African, Latinx, Asian, Arab, Native American, LGBTQ, women and underrepresented communities,” said Rhea Yap, Breakin’ It Down Planning Committee chair and director of Strategic Initiatives at the Chinese Mutual Aid Association.
“I salute the award winners and the honorable mentions who, like Denise, labor to improve the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors for people of color. It is because of their strong belief in advancement for the underserved, that our communities continue to excel,” said Juan Calixto, Breakin’ It Down co-founder and vice president of External Relations at Chicago Community Loan Fund.
“Denise would be thrilled to know today’s recipients and the previous awardees have been honored in her name. Each individual and organization is indicative of the passion, enduring commitment, and outstanding results she demonstrated. Congratulations to all of our awardees,” said Tekla Syers, a founder member of Breakin’ It Down and consultant at Syers T A, Consulting.
The Denise Stennis Awards awards are named in memory and honor of Denise Stennis, a community leader, mentor, friend, and co-founder of the Breakin' It Down conference. Well-known and regarded in the metropolitan Chicago nonprofit community, Denise served a number of social benefit, educational, and cultural organizations. She directly influenced countless nonprofit decision-makers, fundraising volunteers, and the work as well as careers of many Chicago area development professionals.
We honor her dedication to advancing racial equity and expanding opportunities to diverse communities and professionals in the nonprofit, philanthropy, and fundraising field.
The 2023 Denise Stennis Awards honorees are:
Awardees:
Individual - Bessie Alcantara, executive director of Alternatives, Inc.
Organization - Blacks in Green and Rohingya Culture Center
Honorable Mentions:
Individual - Diane Latiker, community activist and founder of Kids Off the Block (KOB); Darnell Shields, executive director of Austin Coming Together; and Antonio Gutierrez, co-founder and strategic coordinator for OrganizedCommunitiesAgainstDeportation (OCAD)
Organization - Musical Arts Institute and Austin Coming Together
For information about the 2023 Denise Stennis Awardees, visit https://breakinitdownchicago.org/2023-awardees
Grand Victoria Foundation Lloyd A. Fry Foundation Woods Fund Chicago Polk Bros. Foundation
