The Brotherhood Crusade, the community based non-profit organization, presented the 45th Annual Pioneer of African American Achievement Award to County Board of Supervisors Chairman Mark Ridley-Thomas for his work to improve the community, his commitment to nonviolence, and his focus on results and accountability especially with transportation, education and healthcare.
The Brotherhood Crusade was founded in 1968 by Walter Bremond Jr. in an effort to achieve social, political and economic justice in the African American Community. Bremond created the first structured system for African-American charitable contributions at the workplace directed to African-American programs. When Walter Bremond passed away, the torch was passed to Danny Bakewell.
Nearly 2,000 community activists, entrepreneurs and elected officials attended the November 1 dinner at the Beverly Hilton including Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Compton’s newly elected Mayor Aja Brown, Compton City Council members Dr. Willie Jones and Janna Zurita, Motown Records founder Berry Gordy, L.A. City Council President Herb Wesson, L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca, attorney Robert McNeill, L.A. County District Attorney Jackie Lacy, State Assemblymen Reginal Jones Sawyer and Steve Bradford, and Inglewood mayor James Butts Mayor.
