Andrew Jackson, 5 Other Black Leaders Honored

New York City Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum (second from l.) is joined by City Councilmembers Robert Jackson (l.) and Inez Dickens (second from r.) and former state Comptroller H. Carl McCall (r.) in honoring Langston Hughes Community Library and Cultural Center Executive Director Andrew Jackson (c.) at a Black History Month celebration hosted by Gotbaum and the council.

Andrew P. Jackson (Sekou Molefi Baako), executive director of the Queens Borough Public Library Langston Hughes Community Library and Cultural Center in Corona for the past 25 years, was one of six distinguished community leaders honored during an African American History Month celebration held in City Council Chambers at City Hall February 22. Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, in conjunction with City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Councilmember Inez E. Dickens (D-Central Harlem) and special guest David N. Dinkins. Former New York State Comptroller H. Carl McCall served as the evening’s master of ceremonies. Gotbaum was joined by the council Black, Latino and Asian Caucus for the “Celebration of African American History, Culture, and Achievement.”

Jackson is also currently serving as training, development, and operations consultant to the Roosevelt Public Library. A published author and essayist, lecturer and adjunct professor, he was given his African names in 1994 as a result of his dedication to community building and his passion for empowering youth. He regularly participates in career days and speaks to students on African history and culture, encouraging young people to read, use libraries for empowerment and consider librarianship as a fulfilling career.

The honorees, who besides Jackson, are Leah Abraham, David Dennis and Margaret L. Jackson, all of Harlem, and the Rev. Dr. Victor A. Brown of Staten Island and Gloria Eastmond Boyce of Brooklyn, represent a cross-section of cultural, community, religious and business leaders from across the city.

Abraham is co-owner of the popular Settepani Bakery in Harlem and has been part of New York City’s culinary scene for more than a decade. Prior to moving to the United States, Abraham, who was born in Ethiopia, lived in Kenya, Lebanon and the former British colony of Aden, lending a multicultural perspective to her entrepreneurial vision. Initially, she was a co-owner of Caffe Bondi, a Southern Italian restaurant in Chelsea, and the Bruno Bakery in Greenwich Village. In 1999, she and her husband opened Settepani, considered by many Harlemites and other New Yorkers to be among the leading upscale gathering places on Malcolm X Boulevard.

Dennis is director of the Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Memorial Community Center of Harlem. Prior to joining the Kennedy Center, Dennis worked eight years at St. Charles Borromeo parochial school in Harlem, where he taught sixth grade and implemented a youth ministry program. Dennis developed and launched Crusader Basketball Inc., a year-long basketball program targeting inner-city youth that is committed to reaching the young-student athlete as a player and person.

Brown has served since 1986 as senior pastor of Mt. Sinai United Christian Church in the New Brighton/Tompkinsville section of Staten Island. Brown is also an adjunct professor of preaching at New York Theological Seminary. At New York Theological, Brown has been a three-time recipient of the Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Scholarship. Awarded by the Funds for Theological Education, this national recognition is conferred upon theological students who exhibit exemplary academic achievement and promise for success in ministry.

Boyce, a lifelong resident of Brooklyn, has been a civic activist for decades. Boyce, who worked at New York Telephone for 39 years, developed a career in community activism through her membership and participation in a variety of organizations, including Church Women United; National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs; Brownstoners of Bedford Stuyvesant; the Jefferson Lewis Stuyvesant Block Association; the MTA Senior Task Force; the Bridge Street Development Center, and the Bridge Street A.M.E. Church.

Margaret Jackson is a well-respected Harlem activist and businesswoman, serving as president of two funeral homes and a realty corporation. Jackson is a former Community Board 10 chairperson and former treasurer of the Harlem YMCA Board of Directors. She is also a member of St. Philip's Episcopal Church, the Martin Luther King Democratic Club and the Empire State Funeral Directors.