Johns Hopkins University President Ronald J. Daniels will receive the Greater Baltimore Urban League's Whitney M. Young Jr. Award, which honors members of the Baltimore community committed to the development of diversity in both the workforce and in philanthropy.
Image caption: President Ronald J. Daniels
The award will be presented tonight during the annual Whitney M. Young Jr. Dinner and Gala, the principal fundraising event for the Greater Baltimore Urban League. The award is named for the American civil rights leader and former executive director of the National Urban League.
Daniels will be recognized for his efforts to create new opportunities for underserved and underemployed individuals. He was instrumental in the development of JHU's HopkinsLocal initiative, a plan to promote economic growth and employment opportunities in Baltimore that launched in September.
Daniels is also one of the driving forces behind BLocal, a pledge by 25 local companies—including the Johns Hopkins University and Health System—to build, hire, buy, and invest locally. That plan, announced at a news conference Monday, is expected to result in $69 million in construction and purchasing spending in Baltimore over the next three years.
Two others will also receive Whitney M. Young Jr. Awards on Friday: Stephanie Hill, head of the board of directors for the Greater Baltimore Committee; and Rev. Debra Hickman, co-founder and CEO of Sisters Together And Reaching, a faith-based non-profit that provides support and services to African-American men and women living with HIV/AIDS.
The Greater Baltimore Urban League, founded in 1924, helps disadvantaged Marylanders gain access to equal opportunities in employment, education, health care, housing, and the civic arena. The Greater Baltimore Urban League has been selected as the affiliate host of the 2016 National Urban League Conference, which will take place in Baltimore this August.
Posted in University News, Community
Tagged president ron daniels, community
