CABWHP 11th Anniversary Gala "Women Who Dared: Our Legacy and our Future"
On June 2, 2005 the California Black Women's Health Project (CABWHP) honored "Women Who Dared" during our 11th Anniversary Breakfast Gala & Silent Auction held at the prestigious City Club on Bunker Hill in downtown Los Angeles.
Nearly 200 attendees gathered at the City Club to pay tribute to the accomplishments of four "Women Who Dared": Ananda Lewis (Co-host 100.3 "The Beat" & The Insider), Paula Madison (President & General Manager, NBC4), Juanita Watts, MD (Regional Coordinator for Women's Health, Kaiser Permanente) and Laura Wiltz, PhD (Founding Emeritus Board Member, The California Endowment). Beginning with a personal story of a friend's battle with HIV/AIDS, Gala emcee Rachel Boesing (Today in LA weather forecaster, NBC4) set the tone for publicly honoring these four women for their outstanding accomplishments, commitment to improving Black women's health, and service to the Black community.
Attendees enjoyed a motivational keynote address by NBC4's President and General Manager, Paula Madison. Madison shared her personal battle with being diagnosed with diabetes after rising from the "projects of New York" to become the first African American woman as general manager at a network-owned station in a top five market. Her very personal recount of her journey with disease diagnosis left attendees informed and empowered. She challenged every attendee to make sure that their family members are tested for diabetes, along with changing their diet and exercise habits.
Honoree Juanita Watts, MD also delivered a riveting keynote address. As Regional Coordinator for Women's Health for Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Dr. Watts directs on-going efforts to maintain excellence in women's healthcare services for 3.1 million members in Southern California. She also serves on the Los Angeles County Women's Health Policy Council and has authored several women's health care articles. Her address, highlighted by her story of triumph in running her first Los Angeles marathon, encouraged attendees to take a pro-active role in maintaining their health and serving the community through advocacy and mentoring.
Honoree Ananda Lewis gave thanks to her parents and family for always stressing the importance of proper health care. Her older sister, Dr. Lakshmi Emory, flew in from Chicago to present the award to Ananda. Lewis' dedication to family and health is demonstrated not only by her social advocacy which earned her an NAACP Image Award and Cable Ace nomination, but also personally by previously putting her career on hold to care for her ailing grandmother.
Gala attendees also heard remarks from honoree Laura Wiltz, Ph.D. Dr. Wiltz's career in community service, non-profit governance, higher education and research and program evaluation spans over 45 years. She has been a true leader in racial justice and public policy in her roles as founding board member of The California Endowment, Chief Operating Officer for the YWCA and advisory board member for several organizations and commissions. Her dedication to the Black community has earned her recognition from the Association of Black Social Workers and The United Negro College Fund, among many others.
The event also included artistic expression with a piano prelude by Michelle Love, a dance tribute to the honorees by Cammie Knight, Nicol Metoyer, and pianist Kenneth Knight, and a spoken word tribute to Latonya Slack, immediate past Executive Director of CABWHP, by Adriene Bausley. The Silent Auction, including items donated by various community businesses ranging from Ticketmaster to Lawry's Prime Rib restaurant, was successful in raising additional funds supporting CABWHP. This year's gala event proceeds will support the expansion of the organization's innovative Advocate Training Program (ATP), an intensive nine-month program designed to train Black women health advocates and activists. To date, 35 women have graduated from the ATP. The 11th Anniversary Gala and Silent Auction was a tremendous success. Attendees left feeling "strengthened" and "inspired" in their lives and efforts toward the betterment of Black women's health.