ESSEX COUNTY DIVINCENZO HOSTS FOURTH ANNUAL

ESSEXCOUNTY AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION

Freeholder President Blonnie R. Watson Receives

Coretta Scott King Leadership Award

Rev. Ronald B. Christian Receives

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership Award

Newark, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. hosted the County’s Fourth Annual African American History Month Celebration on Thursday, February 15th. During the standing room only celebration, the County Executive presented the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership Award to the Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Christian, Pastor of Christian Love Baptist Church in Irvington , and the Coretta Scott King Leadership Award to the Honorable Blonnie R. Watson, President of the Board of Chosen Freeholders.

“African American History Month is a special time of the year when we highlight the many contributions and achievements African Americans have made to our culture, economy and daily lives throughout our history,” DiVincenzo said. “Blonnie Watson and Rev. Ron Christian are leaders and role models, and have truly dedicated themselves to improve the community. Blonnie has been a vocal advocate for our residents and has raised awareness for the need for decent housing through her participation with cooperative housing. Rev. Ron provides powerful spiritual guidance to his congregation and is helping to stabilize our neighborhoods by delivering social services and speaking out against gang violence,” he added.

The Honorable Blonnie R. Watson was first elected as an At-Large member of the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders in 1996 and has been re-elected four times. She served as Vice President of the Board from 1998 to 2002 and was elected as its President in January 2007. Watson is a retired Executive with the U.S. Postal Service and currently is President of the High Park Gardens Cooperative Corporation and the New Jersey Federation of Housing Cooperatives. She is the Chairwoman of the Central Ward Democratic County Committee, and served as a Board Member of the National Association of Housing Cooperatives and former Commissioner on the Newark Zoning Board of Adjustment. She and her husband, Lewis, have two daughters and two grandchildren.

“Today, Essex County is recognizing the contributions that African Americans made to this County and our country,” Watson said. “It is an honor for me to help the community, and it is an honor for me to receive this prestigious award,” she added.

The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Christian is the Senior Pastor of the Christian Love Baptist Church in Irvington , where he is responsible for overseeing the growth of the church’s congregation from 50 active members to more than 3,000 members. He was licensed to preach in January 1998 at the Upper Room Missionary Baptist Church in Newark under the tutelage of his father, the Rev. William E. Christian. He joined Clear View Baptist Church as Associate Minister and later was installed as its Youth Pastor, where he expanded the size of the Youth Ministry of the Church. In April 2001, he became Pastor at Christian Love Baptist Church , which offers three Sunday worship services and a powerful Wednesday night service; offers ministries for bereavement, marriage and men’s issues; and provides programs for child care, tutoring, computer learning, homeless and gang intervention. Rev. Christian and his wife Tami Elaine have five children.

“I never want to forget where the Lord has brought me. This is a tremendous honor that I accept on behalf of my congregation. It’s about what we are all doing together to make an impact throughout Essex County ,” Rev. Christian said.

The keynote presentation was given by Dr. Lenworth Gunther, who retired from Essex County College after a 35-year teaching career there. He is also Founder and Owner of The Gunther Group, an educational consulting business that specializes in communications, diversity and motivational issues. Gunther also recently donated 2,200 books from his personal American, African, African American, Caribbean and Latino History library to Essex County College , Newark Tech vocational school and the Essex County Juvenile Detention Center .

“What makes this County great is its willingness to challenge the idea that we have to look the same and be the same. The fact that we are sitting here together is a testament that all races can come together,” Dr. Gunther said. “The County Executive has done a marvelous job in terms of diversity that you see nowhere else in the State,” he added.

The steel band Tropic Topic provided musical entertainment. Newark Police Detective Vanessa Johnson-Davis sang the National Anthem and “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing.”

The African American History Month Celebration is the part of a year long cultural series created by County Executive DiVincenzo to highlight Essex County ’s diversity. Other cultural celebrations highlight Irish, Italian, Jewish, Latino and Portuguese heritage and Women’s history.

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