Angela Ray presents:

The Third Annual

Mahogany Dime™ Awards

Friday, March 24, 2006
8:00 PM
Carolina Theatre of Durham
Tickets on sale now at the box office
919-560-3030

Join us for an evening of honors and entertainment in
Recognition of Women’s History Month
With a special tribute to the pioneers of the
Civil Rights Movement
Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King

Hosted by Gayle Hurd of Radio One Raleigh

This year’s recipients are:

Dr. Linda Kerr Norflett of Durham
Mahogany Dime Award for the Arts

Dr. Linda Kerr Norflett of Durham will be honored with the Mahogany Dime Award for the arts. She is a cum laude graduate of North Carolina Central with a B. A. in Dramatic Art. She received her Master's Degree in theatre from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her Ph.D in performance Studies from New York University.

As an educator in the arts, Dr. Norflett served as chair of the Department of Dramatic Art at NCCU from 1975-1995. Under her leadership, the faculty increased from four full-time positions to five full-time and two part-time positions. Six new courses were added to the curriculum. Sixty exciting productions were staged. After twenty years, she stepped down as chair, but still teaches and directs shows in the department.

Outside of the university, in the early 70's, she co-hosted a weekly show on WTVD 11, Black Unlimited for four years. By 1974, she had a one year stint as Cultural Arts Director of the Soul City Foundation where she established the Soul City Cultural Arts and Historical Society.

She has a well rounded list of plays to her credit as a director, including American Menu, Anna Lucasta, Perilous Times, Fences, Dreamgirls, Ain't Misbehaving, A Raisin in the Sun, and Purlie, just to name a few. As a producing manager, she has supervised and critiqued the following plays: Joe Turner's Come and Gone, She Stops to Conquer, Checkmates, The Tap Dance Kid, The Gulf, The Colored Museum, among a list of countless others. In addition, she is a playwright, with numerous works to her credit, including Mimi and Me, an autobiographical play about the struggles of her daughter, Mimi, as a mentally challenged adult.

She founded Triangle Performance Ensemble and served as its executive producer from 1987-1993. She served as education coordinator and assistant to the Executive Producer of the National Black Theatre Festival, an international biennial celebration of theatre that attracts people from around the world, during four separate festivals.

Dr. Norflett’s past awards include a long list of honors, a few of which are the Ella Fountain Pratt Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts from the Durham Arts Council, the Spirit of Hayti Award from the St. Joseph=s Historic Foundation for Arts & Education in 1999, and National Black Theatre Network Award for Outstanding Service, National Black Theatre Festival in 1991.

At present, Dr. Norflett is Interim Associate Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences at North Carolina Central University. She is also the Pastor of Flat Rock A. M. E. Church in Hillsborough. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Constancia Ross of Cary
Mahogany Dime Award for Entrepreneurship

Constancia Ross of Cary will be honored with the Mahogany Dime Award for entrepreneurship. Ross is the President of Specialized Contract Services, Inc., a government contract company acting as a catalyst nationwide in sales to government agencies and as direct contractors specializing in food services to Department of Defense Agencies worldwide. Started in 1991 in Garner, the company now has its home office in Cary though Ross travels all over the country to meet with clients and contractors.

In addition to government contracts, her corporation is involved in promotions for concerts and meetings in venues around the country. They have promoted and sponsored a number of shows in gospel, jazz, and R &B music. Artists the company has worked with include, Anita Baker, Keith Washington, Arturo Shelton (from BET Comic View & Def Comedy Jam), The Temptations, The Four Tops, The O’Jays, After 7 featuring Kevon Edmonds among others.

The education Ross received from Slippery Rock University, Youngstown State University, a short stint at Kent State, and an MBA from Stafford University, well equipped and prepared her for the role and challenges as president of the multi-million dollar corporation, which she started from her kitchen table.

An avid believer in giving back, Ross gives to and supports a number of charities and organizations, including, Schieffelin Mission Ministries in West Africa, Paula White Ministries, United Negro College Fund, Girls Club of America, Open Arms Care Corporation, Breast Cancer Research (pink ribbon campaign with American Cancer Society) Purple Heart Campaign for Domestic Violence Victims, World Harvest Church of Columbus, Ohio, T.D. Jakes Bishop Circle, the YMCA, the Salvation and a host of other worthy causes.

Dr. Jeannette M. Council of Fayetteville
Mahogany Dime Award for Leadership

Dr. Jeannette M. Council of Fayetteville will be honored with the Mahogany Dime Award for Leadership. Dr. Council is the immediate past chair of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners. Aside from politics, she has a long history of leadership in education. She has been an educator since 1965. Her professional career includes employment as an elementary teacher, assistant principal, acting principal, elementary supervisor, curriculum coordinator, and federal programs coordinator.

Dr. Council enrolled at Fayetteville State University after graduating from E.E. Smith High School at age 15. She received a Masters from Indiana University at Bloomington. She went on to complete degrees at East Carolina University and received a Doctorate from South Carolina State University. She also attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and completed the Duke University Institute of Politics.

She is a member of the Democratic National Committee and has been a voting delegate at the party's national conventions since 1972. Currently, she is a Cumberland County Commissioner, a member of the Democratic National Committee, chair of Fayetteville State University’s Foundation Board, and a member of the Board of Trustees for Cape Fear Valley Heath Systems. She is also the Federal Programs Coordinator for Pre K students for Cumberland County Schools and just finished two six year terms on the North Carolina Community Colleges Board.

Past honors include the NC Legislative Black Caucus Leadership Award and she was named one of the most influential Black females in Fayetteville by members of the Cape Fear Region 100 Black Men of America.

Aside from her career, Dr. Council is also an outstanding leader in the community. She is a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, and the Links, Incorporated. She is married to Thomas Council and has one son, Thomas and a grandson, Thomas Melvin III.

Jane Johnson- Chavis of Durham
Mahogany Dime Award for service

Jane Johnson-Chavis of Durham will receive the Mahogany Dime Award for service. Johnson-Chavis is the deputy director of the Arc of Durham, which supports people with developmental disabilities and their families. Chavis has been serving there for fifteen years, first starting out as an administrative assistant. She soon became an invaluable resource to their staff, to the families they support and to the community at large. According to executive director Lynda Gross, “Jane has always been in the helping profession. Fortunately for the Arc, she found substance for her passion for helping people here.”

Before coming to the Arc, Johnson-Chavis worked in the medical field for 8 years, at Duke University. Later, she worked for a while in corporate America in marketing, but was eventually laid off due to a restructuring at the company. It was the loss of that job that lead to a part time position at the Arc.

Prior to beginning service at the Arc, Johnson-Chavis was actively involved in the community. She volunteered with La Sertoma Civic Organization for a number of years, which provides assistance to individuals with speech and language disabilities. She was recognized for volunteering over 400 hours in one year. Since coming to the Arc, Johnson-Chavis has twice stepped up to fill the role of executive director. In 1998, and again in 2004 she assumed the responsibilities of heading the organization and helped each new executive director transition into their positions.

In 2002, she received a Distinguished Service Award from the Arc of North Carolina. Aside from her job duties as the director of family support activities, which keep her busy during the day, Johnson-Chavis gives countless hours in the evenings to meet with parents, many of whom work during the day. Arc Board member Kathy Lewis speaks highly of her. “Jane’s perpetual positive attitude gives families the hope they need to begin to believe again that their child can have a productive rewarding life. Jane gives families hope.”

Dr. Alma Adams of Greensboro
Dr. Johnnetta Cole Living Legend Award

Dr. Alma Adams of Greensboro will be honored with the Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole Living Legend Award. She is a professor of art at Bennett College for Women where she has been on faculty since 1972. She is past Department Chairperson of Visual Arts and Humane Studies and former Director of the Humanities Division.

She co-founded The African American Atelier, Inc. with her mentor, the late Eva Hamiln Miller in 1990. The African American Atelier is a non profit, fine arts gallery located within the Greensboro Cultural Center. This venue helps educate African Americans and the community at-large and provides bridging opportunities for artists, children, adults and special populations including the physically and mentally challenged. Recognized by the United Arts Council of Greensboro for her contributions as a silk-screen artist, Adams was named The 2002 African American Arts Festival artist.

Dr. Adams has served in the North Carolina General Assembly since 1994 when she was first appointed to the twenty-sixth House District by Governor James B. Hunt. She was re-elected to her sixth term in November 2004.

During her tenure in the house, she has worked to ensure equity and fairness in funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) which prompted her to introduce the University Equity Bill. That legislation eventually resulted in the Statewide University Bond Initiative.

Prior to her service in the General Assembly, Dr. Adams served a one term on the Greensboro City School Board where she was a strong advocate for quality education and the first African American woman elected to that body. She is also a member of the Guilford Democratic Women, N.C. Equity, and Life member of the NAACP and is a member of the New Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Greensboro.

On the national level, Dr. Adams is one of six founding members of the American Legacy Foundation Board (an eleven member national foundation established by the MSA tobacco settlement) to reduce the use of tobacco among youth and all generations. She is a member of the National Conference of Artists, the National Art Education Association and has been a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority since 1978.

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