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Elgin Rogers, president of
the AALC, served as master of ceremonies for the event and
spoke of his personal interaction with each honoree. Norris
Finley, vice president of the AALC, was the evening’s DJ.
The evening’s honorees
were Frances Collins, PhD; Doris Roberts; Rev. I.J. Johnson;
Weldon Douthitt and Rev. Derek Arnold.
Collins, an educator, was
a teacher of Rogers during his childhood, he observed. She
was also present at the founding of the AALC and served as
an advisor.. “I will cherish it,” she said f the award. “And
I will continue to provide service to the Toledo community.”
Roberts, who works at St.
Mercy’s Medical Center, is a behind the scenes political
worker whom Rogers described as active in “educating the
general public on what it means to be African American.”
Johnson, the pastor of St.
Marks Missionary Baptist Church for over 60 years, is the
dean of pastors in the Toledo area. His award was accepted
by the church’s elder, Deacon Fletcher.
Douthitt, a longtime
Democratic Party political grass roots worker and the
driving force behind Pathways, Inc’s home repair program for
senior citizens, was not present to accept, but his award
was accepted by State representative Michael Ashford.
“Without Weldon Douthitt a lot of seniors wouldn’t have
houses today or they wouldn’t have heat or they wouldn’t
have water.”
The final awardee, Derek
Arnold, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Churchsince 1994 was not
present but his award was accepted by a member of his
congregation, Dawn Chung, who is also the treasurer of the
AALC. “He is very in tuned to what’s happening in the
community,” said Chung of her pastor.
The AALC is an organization of citizens concerned with
removing the structural challenges facing African-American
advancement in Lucas County. As a result of a focus group in
2012, it was determined that the AALC should be affiliated
with the Lucas County Democratic Party.
Funds from the event will be used to assist candidates and
issues, the AALC Youth Initiative and the organization’s
Brotherhood Breakfast, which helps increase voter
registration.
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