NIU Black Legacy to bestow 2004 Kemet Awards

Ron Carter, Walter Owens, Admasu Zike and the NIU Black Choir are among the honorees at this weekend’s Kemet Awards ceremony during the 2004 Legacy event.

Legacy is a concept developed two years ago to attract black alumni back to campus.

The premiere component of the event is the Kemet Awards ceremony. This award was created to recognize NIU black alumni for their professional accomplishments and commitment to serving humanity; and NIU faculty, staff, alumni, and other noteworthy people for their success, presence, personality, achievement, history, and contribution to NIU, particularly African American Students. The Kemet is Nubian for Egypt, the great predecessor to all modern societies.

The ceremony will commence during a champagne reception for the NIU community, black alumni and other guests Saturday, Nov. 6, in the NIU Convocation Center South Lobby. An Old School Stepper’s Set dance party will follow immediately after the ceremony.

“Our long-term goal was to host a weekend of events for black faculty, staff, students and alumni. The weekend would include professional networking seminars, job fairs, talent shows, worship services, parties and concerts along with the Kemet Awards ceremony,” said Keith Barnes, a counselor in NIU’s CHANCE program and a Legacy spokesman.

“We also considered working with the student body to incorporate events hosted by NIU black student organizations that are already popular with the NIU community, such as the NBC concert, Greek show, Unity Day, etc. It would be a weekend similar to a Historically Black College/University homecoming weekend or classics like the Circle City in Indianapolis or the Bayou in New Orleans.”

2004 Kemet Award recipients

Dr. Ronald Carter

World-renowned musician; NIU professor of music; director of the NIU Jazz Ensemble

Dr. Barbara Henley

former vice president of Student Affairs at Northern Illinois University, current vice chancellor of Student Affairs at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

William “Bill” Herrmman

Director for Financial Aid at Northern Illinois University; he played a huge role securing financial resources for students of color and athletes during the 1960s and early ’70s.

Richard and Icilda Flournory

Richard Flournory - NIU administrator in Personnel/Human Resources for more than 30 years, he was involved in hiring many of the first minority staff members at NIU. He served as a role model and mentor to uncounted hundreds of workers.

Dr. Icilda Flournory - professor of home economics

The Flournorys have played such an important role and have given so much to the community of DeKalb and NIU and to black and white faculty and staff as family-oriented civic leaders, landowners, role models, faculty, administrators and proud ethical citizens.

Kenneth Moore-Lenon

Student leader and founder of the NIU Black Choir

Walter “Coach Walt” Owens

Professor, administrator, civic leader, NIU staff member and coach, currently a assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education; co-host of the Fall NIU Minority Reception.

Dr. Admasu Zike

Past Director of the Center for Black Studies at Northern Illinois University, retired NIU Associate Vice Provost

2004 Distinguish Service Award (Group/Organization):

The NIU Black Choir

For more than 30 years, the Northern Illinois University Black Choir has provided the community song, service and sanctuary. The true test of leadership is characterized by the ability, after the initial vision, for an idea to continue and flourish.

Kenny Moore-Lenon, the group’s founder, set a stellar course for the choir when he was at NIU. But to his credit and the credit of his successors, the dream continues to fulfill the original mission. The choir is still one of the most productive, organized, satisfying, leadership producing, and talented groups at NIU. The members have established themselves as the foundational organization within the black community as well as on campus.

Totally student operated, they fill the hunger the spirit of urban students feel being at a predominately white environment. Many students find the choir to be that soul-satisfying piece that completes them in the cornfields of DeKalb. It provides direction, inspiration and hope when times get difficult and family is too far away to help. The list of choir directors, presidents, band members and officers is a golden list of NIU leadership.

The choir still travels extensively spreading the word and is one of NIU’s best ambassadors.

Posthumous Award

James Fletcher

The Kemet Award is given for contributions at NIU and to those contributing to the greater community. Fletcher embodies both of these requirements. All who have met him frequently comment on his understanding and instant connection to people at all levels. He had respect for the average person as well as the most important corporate executive. His longtime friend and associate Donald Beal said, “His social skills were his power.”

Born in Chicago at Ida B. Wells on Jan. 21, 1935, the son of one of the renowned Pullman Porters, Fletcher attended Tilden Tech High School. He arrived at what was then Northern Illinois Teachers College in 1954. While at Northern he was a member of the Flunkies Organization, Alpha Phi Omega and was on the football, wrestling and track teams. He even met his wife, Norma Gant-Fletcher, here.

After a tour in the U.S. Marine Corps, he returned to Chicago to teach, get married, involved himself in community affairs and begin his career with the Federal Government. After his stint in government he became interested in banking and joined the Hyde Park Bank. It was the Hyde Park Bank which provided direction and seed money for what became the Black McDonald Owners in Chicago.

In 1973, he and others purchased the South Shore Bank as a Community Development Bank, which was a model for hundreds of similar banks throughout the United States and around the world. This experience gave community empowerment to so many inner-city and minority groups. In 1996, he became chairman of South Shore Bank.

Though he went to his reward on Sept. 16, 1998, his colleagues and friends would not let his work and services perish. In 1999, the South Shore Bank parent company, ShoreBank, established the James Fletcher Memorial Scholarship Program at NIU. The scholarship is designed each year to provide a full scholarship for tuition, books as well as on-campus room and board to an inner-city student.

11-1-04