A Message from.....

MS. RENA A. LIVINGSTON

Vice President of Programs & Administration
Coalition For United Community Action-O.R.T.C., Inc.

The GOALS of the Coalition’s Annual Unity Testimonial Awards Banquet are to:

Honor those individuals whom we feel have made the greatest contribution to humanity by their inspirational examples, devotion, accomplishments, and their most demanding criterion is their leadership, dedication, commitment, and contribution to the community above and beyond the call of duty.

Provide a platform for those of diverse interest so that we can reaffirm our dedication to the rebuilding and further development of this great nation.

Raise funds to maintain the Coalition For United Community Action - O.R.T.C., as an independent conglomerate of people dedicated to job training and also providing the economic vehicle through which all minorities and African Americans will have access to economic resources that will make the “AMERICAN DREAM” a reality.

As we celebrate our annual banquet, we reflect back on all the very special people honored by CUCA over the years, the late A. Philip Randolph, Dean of Civil Rights; the late Congressman Augustus F. Hawkins, the late Civil Rights Leader Edwin C. “Bill” Berry; James W. Compton, president and Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago Urban League; Dr. Margaret Burroughs, Director Emeritus, DuSable Museum of African-American History; Muhammad Ali; the “Peoples Champ”; Chicago Bears’ Walter J. Payton; State Representative Lou Jones; Illinois State Senate, President Emil Jones, Jr.; Thomas A. Nayder, President, Chicago and Cook County Building and Construction Trades Council; Mr. William A. Lee, President, Chicago Federation of Labor and Industrial Union Council; The Honorable Ray Marshall, U.S. Secretary of Labor; The Honorable Jesse White, Illinois Secretary of State; Harry Porterfield, News Anchor, WLS–TV; Clifford Kelly, Radio Talk Show Host WVON–AM–1450, “Talk of Chicago”; Lacy J. Banks, Sports Columnist, Chicago Sun–Times; Robert E. Johnson, Associate Publisher and Executive Director, JET Magazine, Johnson Publishing Company, Inc.; Matthew J. and Daniel J. Walsh, Walsh Construction Company of Illinois; Elton Brand, Former Chicago Bull, Rookie of the Year; renowned Hall of Fame Journalist, Vernon Jarrett; Chicago Defender’s Publisher; John H. Sengastacke; Educator, Paul Vallas; Contractor, Larry Huggins; Journalist and Author, Juanita Bratcher; Construction Leader, Paul King; Plumber’s Union Business Manager, Gerald M. Sullivan; and Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, just to name a few.

The people we have honored through the years come from diverse backgrounds and yet have similar missions. They are of different races, creeds and colors, yet having one outstanding factor in common; they have all made a difference in our community, city and state. Our annual awards recipients follow in that very same tradition.