PR # 188                 March 30, 2007

RVCC HONORS LOCAL TEENS AT ANNUAL ROBESON RECEPTION

Eighteen middle and high school students from Somerset and Hunterdon counties were honored for their achievements at the 17th Annual Paul Robeson Achievement Awards Reception, held March 29 at Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC) in North Branch.

The evening featured a keynote address by Jeremiah Leviticus Grace, who, at the age of 25, became the youngest commissioner ever elected to the Elizabeth Board of Education.

The National Council of Negro Women and RVCC initiated the Paul Robeson Youth Achievement Awards program in 1990 to pay tribute to the outstanding attainments of students in the two counties. The awards are named in honor of Paul Robeson, a Princeton, NJ native who grew up in Somerville and graduated from Somerville High School and Rutgers University. The awards, sponsored by the Paul Robeson Institute for Ethics, Leadership and Social Justice at RVCC, are given in four areas in which Robeson excelled: scholarship, the arts, community service and athletics. In addition, special “Renaissance Scholars” awards are given to students who excel in a number of disciplines.

Close to 40 students were nominated for awards by their guidance counselors, teachers and administrators. A special committee of RVCC faculty and administrators selected the award recipients.

“RVCC is extremely proud of its participation in the Robeson Youth Achievement Awards program, which honors some outstanding young people for their incredible talent and dedicated service to the local community,” said RVCC President Dr. Casey Crabill. “With these remarkable individuals leading the way, our future will be in very good hands.”

The following middle school students were recognized:

Arts

Jamelia Jones, Warren Middle School

Community Service

Leigh Ann Keely, Somerville Middle School

Renaissance

Lawrence Plummer, Franklin Middle School

Danielle Stewart, North Plainfield Middle School

Scholarship

Yasmine Resil, Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School

William Darling, Somerville Middle School

The following high school students received special recognition:

Arts

Patrice Browne, North Plainfield High School

Raolick Walls, Somerset County Vocational Technical High School

Regina Brown, Somerville High School

Athletics

Catherine Carr, Bernards High School

Jared M. Darby, North Hunterdon High School

Community Service

Stanley Okoye, Immaculata High School

Kayla Ogletree, Somerville High School

Renaissance

Naquell Stephenson, Bernards High School

Kent Amoo-Achampong, Immaculata High School

Drew P. Cartwright, North Hunterdon High School

Leshay L. Bernstein, Voorhees High School

Scholarship

Denise Caracter, Somerville High School

Paul Robeson, son of an escaped slave, rose from humble beginnings to become a superior athlete, scholar, orator and linguist and a star in theater, film and on the concert stage. His performances in The Emperor Jones, Show Boat and Othello remain theatrical landmarks. Robeson was also an outspoken and controversial advocate of civil rights for African-Americans. In the 1950s, during the McCarthy era, he was persecuted for his political ideas and prevented from working. His passport was revoked for eight years because the US government considered his activities in the 1930s and ’40s treasonable. Throughout Robeson’s career, he remained convinced that “art can bridge the gulf between white and black races.” Robeson died in Philadelphia in 1976 at the age of 77.

Keynote speaker Jeremiah Grace, 26, is a leader in fighting for an efficient educational experience for the children of his hometown of Elizabeth. He also mentors teenagers at the YMCA and advocates for civil rights as the new president of the Elizabeth NAACP. He is currently the youngest NAACP Adult Branch president in the United States.  

In January 2007, Grace became the first Racial Justice Organizer for the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey’s newly launched Racial Justice program. The position enables him to work full-time on issues that affect his community, including police practices, voting rights, criminal justice and education.  

For further information about the Paul Robeson Institute for Ethics, Leadership and Social Justice at RVCC, call 908-526-1200, ext. 8524.

RVCC, located on Route 28 and Lamington Road in North Branch, NJ, and serving Somerset and Hunterdon County residents for 30 years, offers more than 80 associate degrees and certificates. In addition, customized training programs and non-credit courses are available for those seeking personal and professional development.

The College is committed to offering a quality and affordable education through effective teaching, liaisons with the community’s businesses and state-of-the-art technology. For further information, visit www.raritanval.edu.