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Celebrating Black History In L.i.c.

More than 300 people came to the Jacob Riis Settlement House in the Queensbridge section of Long Island City last Thursday, Feb. 28, to mark the contributions of a number of honored guests during the third-annual Black History Month celebration and awards night hosted by City Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer. The ceremony included readings by the winners of Van Bramer’s Black History Month essay contest, which included students from P.S. 111, I.S. 204 and William Cullen Bryant High School. Van Bramer is shown (back row, fourth from left) with the events honorees, which included (front row, from left to right) Marjorie Cotton, community activist; Karen Dennis, president of the PSA 9 Community Council; Veronica Franklin, coordinator of the Jacob Riis Settlement Program; April Simpson-Taylor, president of the Queensbridge Tenant Association; and Ellen Day, founder of the Brickhouse Ceramic Art Center; and (back row, from left to right) Robert Madison, director of Jacob Riis Settlement Senior Services; Tienya Smith, manager of the Long Island City branch of Queens Library; Yawne Robinson, CEO of Reading 4 Smiles; P.O. Darryl Johnson of the PSA 9 Community Affairs Unit; and Pastor Kenneth Ford of Astoria Baptist Church.