By Victor Pate
(HARLEM – November 14, 2022) – I would like to take this moment to profoundly thank you and your team for the great work, time, and effort you put into the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards event that gives recognition and honor to others who are making a significant contribution in their communities on diverse platforms. It has been my distinct pleasure and honor to have been a past awardee at this event, but to also have been an attendee and witness to others being honored.
In my humble opinion, to give praise and recognition to the contributions of others is in and of itself a noble gesture and you have and continue to do this consistently. The Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards ceremony not only serves as an occasion for honor but also creates opportunities for people to get to know one another, network, and learn. One of the things I really delight in is the vast knowledge you possess about our history and culture as a people, and you are always willing to pass this information on to others. All of this is done through your deep passion, selflessness, and commitment to our struggles and the people who are making a difference in our communities, without cost to the individuals participating as an awardee or attendee.
Mr. Glover, you and Lee Vaughan [Exec. Dir, BMORENews Black Wall Street Foundation] do your immediate and wider communities a great service in providing this service and creating a platform of learning through the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards events that you host throughout the various states year-round. The awards are greatly appreciated and have a powerful impact on the recipients as well as the community by recognizing some of those who are doing the work within the community while giving the community the inspiration to continue to work in collaboration to enhance the conditions of the community and help those in need of healing.
There are not enough words to describe how profoundly uplifting this event has been and continues to be to those in receipt and to the community that attends. I pray that you have many more years in the continuum of this prestigious event and that you receive all the support necessary to continue.
Victor Pate is Chaplain and Chairman of the NYC Chapter of the National Action Network Second Chance Committee.
BMORENews’ Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards were established in Washington, D.C. with Sisters4Sisters Network, Inc. in 2011. Since then, BMORENews and its Partners have honored over 1,900 Black entrepreneurs and professionals as well as the people who support them regardless of race in New York, Baltimore, Prince George’s County, MD, Washington, D.C., Richmond, Atlanta, New Orleans, Birmingham, Las Vegas, and Tulsa.
**The real hero is Mr. Victor Pate. His name is platinum in New York City. He has helped many, many people return to the streets. Recidivism is 70% in America. We have to reverse this staggering trend. It is literally killing us all. While America has only 5% of the world’s population, America has 25% of the inmates – starring Black people. Black people – while 13% of the population – represent 50% of the inmates, 50% of the murderers, and 50% of the murder victims. Wake up!
