HABILITATIVE SYSTEMS, INC. CELEBRATES HISTORICALLY BLACK COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS AT 4TH ANNUAL RACE AND HEALTH EQUITY AWARDS

Second from right, Rev. Dr. Albert R. Sampson, senior pastor, Fernwood United Methodist Church, accepts his award, from, left to right, HSI board chair Melvin L. Brooks, Esq, HSI Fundraising Board Chair Jamil Muhammad, Sampson, and HSI President and CEO Donald Dew.
Second from right, Rev. Dr. Albert R. Sampson, senior pastor, Fernwood United Methodist Church, accepts his award, from, left to right, HSI board chair Melvin L. Brooks, Esq, HSI Fundraising Board Chair Jamil Muhammad, Sampson, and HSI President and CEO Donald Dew.

HABILITATIVE SYSTEMS, INC. CELEBRATES HISTORICALLY BLACK COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS AT 4TH ANNUAL RACE AND HEALTH EQUITY AWARDS


CHICAGO (Dec. 20, 2024) – “Honoring the Legacy of Historically Black Community Based Organizations (HBCBOs)” was the theme when Habilitative Systems, Inc. (HSI), one of Chicago’s largest behavioral health and human services agencies dedicated to enriching the quality of life in key communities, hosted the 4th Annual HSI Race and Health Equity Awards, held recently at Malcolm X College. 

“This year’s Race and Health Equity Awards was a celebration in three parts,” said HSI President and CEO Donald J. Dew.

“First of all, we wanted to pay tribute to 10 extraordinary trailblazers, living legends who have been dedicated to fighting for social justice and to eliminating racial inequities in healthcare. They have led the charge to ensure that our healthcare systems have better quality, access and more equity for Black and brown people,” he said.

“Secondly, we had the world premiere of the documentary ‘Heading West 2: If the Lions Don't Tell Their Story.’ Additionally, we launched a national initiative to support Historically Black Community Based Organizations or HBCBOs,” he said.

Co-produced by Double D Productions, and Habilitative Systems, Inc., the documentary chronicles the enduring impact of HBCBOs in Chicago, shedding light on their pivotal role in the fight for social justice, mental health, community empowerment, and systemic change across generations.

“We let the lions tell the stories of how they have fought and continue to fight and win,” said film producer Darryl Dennard, founder of Double D Productions.

The film served as a kick-off for the national launch of HSI’s HBCBO Initiative, designed to increase support and recognition for the work HBCBOs play in bridging gaps in the social safety-net. The goal is for individual, sometimes isolated, nonprofits serving the African-American community to coalesce to share strategies and resources and work together to create a stronger future in these uncertain times.

“Our HBCBO Initiative is a clarion call for support of the thousands of nonprofits quality of life in our communities and, also, it is an invitation for organizations around the country to join our HBCBO movement,” Dew said. Visit https://www.historicallyblackcbo.org/

HSI’s 4th Annual Race and Health Equity awardees include the following::

•    Congressman Danny K. Davis, Member of Congress, 7th District-IL

•    Dr. Terry Mason, Former Chief Operating Officer, Cook County Department of Public Health

•    Dr. Vijay Prabhakar, Chairman, Global Strategic Alliance Inc., USA

•    Dr. Sokoni Karanja, Founder and Former Director, Centers for New Horizons

•    Tyronne Stoudemire, Senior Vice President, Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI), Hyatt Hotels Corporation

•    Dr. Carol Adams, Founder and CEO, Urban Prescriptives

•    Brenetta Howell Barrett, Founder, President and CEO, Pathfinders Prevention Education Fund

•    Bishop Dr. Claude Porter, Founder, President and CEO, Proviso Leyden Council for Community Action, Inc.

•    Reverend Dr. Albert Sampson, Fernwood United Methodist Church

•    Dr. Annetta Wilson, Founder and Executive Director, Sankofa Safe Child Initiative


Entertainment for the HSI 4th Annual Race and Health Equity Awards was provided by violinist Windy Indie.

For more information about HSI, visit www.habilitative.org.


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