ADC Annual Martin Luther King Scholarship Awards Great Success Press Release

On Friday, January 30, 2009, ADC Michigan celebrated its 10th Annual Martin Luther King Scholarship Awards reception at the Greenfield Manor in Dearborn.

ADC was honored to have the Detroit Branch NAACP co-host this year’s event, as a collaborative effort to commemorate Dr. King’s birthday and ADC’s 10th Anniversary of this historic program. The reception, which hosted over 650 guests, was a remarkable event which embraced our rich diversity as we enter 2009 with further determination to advance the cause of Civil Rights in America.

Numerous officials, dignitaries and representatives participated in the program including:  Attorney General Mike Cox; Lt. Governor John Cherry; U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow; U.S. Senator Irma Clark; Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy; Mayor of Dearborn Jack O’ Reilly; Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano; and Wayne County Commissioners Gary Woronchak and Diane Webb, among others who were in attendance.

Special Proclamations and Certifications were presented by the Wayne County Commission; the Mayor of Dearborn; and Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano to ADC Michigan’s Regional Director Sr. National Advisor Imad Hamad and the ADC Michigan team, in recognition of their dedication to the strength and success of the program, as this year marked the 10th Anniversary of its inception.

Diana Lewis, News Anchor for WXYZ Channel 7 “Action News” served as the evenings Mistress of Ceremonies. Reverend Oscar W. King, III, Pastor of the Northwest Unity Baptist Church in Detroit, delivered a riveting keynote address.

The event highlighted 15 high school students who received scholarship awards for their winning essay submissions to the ADC Michigan 10th Annual MLK, Jr. Scholarship contest which is open to all Arab and Chaldean American high school seniors in Michigan.  Thanks to our MLK sponsors, ADC Michigan was able to give the largest number of scholarships this year, since the establishment of this program a decade ago.  “We are humbled to deliver this unique program which reinforces Dr. King’s legacy among the youth during this unique era of change in America,” stated Imad Hamad.

Nadia Youmans, principal of Salina Elementary School in Dearborn received the “Educator of the Year Award” during this year’s MLK reception and Maysaa Bazzi, a star volleyball player and recent recipient of the “Faces in the Crowd” section of Sports Illustrated received the “Young Leadership Award.”ADC Michigan and the Detroit Branch NAACP are pleased to announce that they will continue their dialogue and their partnership with upcoming initiatives to draw on each other strengths and bridge the two communities which continue to endure parallel struggles.  ”Our partnership with the NAACP is entering a new direction in advancing our common cause on behalf of civil rights in America,” stated Hamad.

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