(BLOOMINGTON) – The City of Bloomington’s 15th Annual Black History Month Gala will take place on Saturday, March 2 at the Hilton Garden Inn, 245 N. College Avenue in Bloomington.
A reception and silent auction will begin at 6:00 p.m. with the program to follow at 7:0p.m. Tickets for the event are available at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater Box Office, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave., by phone at 812-323-3020 or online.
The gala will feature a ceremony to recognize the recipient of the Living Legend Award and the 2019 Outstanding Black Leaders of Tomorrow. Acknowledging, honoring, and celebrating the accomplishments of African-Americans who have devoted their time, talents, and resources to make a difference in the Bloomington community and beyond, the Living Legend Award will honor David Francis Hummons this year.
A member of the Bloomington community and an employee of Indiana University for nearly 50 years, Hummons is being recognized for having helped countless students in his positions in the IU Office of Bursar and as Director of Community and Student Engagement. The award recognizes the extent to which Hummons has epitomized the role of servant-leader through his efforts to bridge the gap between people of different races, religions, genders, and beliefs.
Also at the gala, the City of Bloomington Commission on the Status of Black Males (CSBM) will honor two adults and two high school students with the Outstanding Black Leader of Tomorrow awards, created to encourage the development of future leaders and recognize local contributions by young African-Americans. Kira Richardson will be honored for her dedication to improving the health and well-being of the community as a whole, and specifically those affecting women, children, and marginalized populations. Richardson is a disease intervention specialist for the Indiana State Department of Health Division of HIV/STD/Viral Hepatitis where she investigates and intervenes in the spread of communicable diseases. Tyler Kelley will be saluted for the reading program he developed at The Rise (Middle Way House) as a follow-up to the City’s Read for 200 Campaign. Kelley is Associate Director of Admissions and Stewardship for the Undergraduate Programs Office of the IU Kelley School of Business.
The high school students also being recognized as 2019 Outstanding Black Leaders of Tomorrow are siblings Naomi Young and Samuel Young III. Naomi, currently a junior at Bloomington High School South (BHSS), participated in the school’s Community Leadership Building Club and participated in the City’s Commission on the Status of Children and Youth’s Bicentennial Teen Round Table. Samuel, a BHSS freshman, participated in a missionary trip to Puerto Rico with Bethel AME Church and is a member of the Nelms Leadership Academy. Both siblings plan to attend college, where Naomi plans to study higher education and Samuel intends to study law.
“Congratulations to all this year’s winners,” said Mayor John Hamilton. “Together with the Black History Month Committee, it is my honor to salute Living Legend David Francis Hummons for his decades of service to the community. His example serves as an inspiration to younger generations who, as our Outstanding Black Leaders of Tomorrow demonstrate, continue to be committed to the greater good.”
