Gracies Awards Luncheon

Last Thursday (June 4th), we traveled back to New York City again. This time, we went straight to Central Park to the Tavern on the Green for the 2009 Gracies Award Luncheon. A partnership with Buffalo's WNED Broadcasting Corporation and the Uncrowned Queens with funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Western New York and Rich Products (another Western New York corporation) resulted in the radio series: "Uncrowned Queens: Voices of African American Women".

Based on the Uncrowned Queens Institute's concept of recognizing the little-known African American community builders of our community, the radio program featured a series of three interviews with these Uncrowned Queens. Peggy and I provided commentaries for several of the programs. Each program is introduced by Phlycia Rashad and hosted by Lorna Hill. Sonya Williams, Howard University professor and chair of the University's Communications Department was the executive producer.

Peggy and I were instrumental in the orignial conceptulization of the program idea, pitching it to CPB and identifying the interviewees for the final programs. We acted as executive consultants for the series.

We were very excited that "Uncrowned Queens: Voices of African American Women" series was selected to receive a coveted Gracies Award for as “Outstanding Documentary - Mid-Length Format” in the “Public” market category. For 34 years, the Gracies® have recognized exemplary media programming created for women, by women and about women, as well as individual accomplishments in the industry. The awards program also encourages the realistic and multifaceted portrayal of women.

The feedback that we have received from individuals in the community is that the series captured the stories of the women and profiled their accomplishements and contributions in compelling and interesting interviews. The Uncrowned Queens Institute has copies of the complete, unedited interviews for future research and educational projects.

The photos on this page include: Lorna Hill, Sonya Williams and Stratton Rawson, WNED's executive producer of the series.