ESP Joins In Celebrating 27 Years of the Work of the 100 Black Men of Los Angeles

(Friday, October 03, 2008, Beverly Hills, California)

President of The 100 Black Men of Los Angeles, Dr. Anthony Asadullah Samad, and ESP President Everett Glenn

ESP President Everett Glenn joined a packed house in the Grand Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza to celebrate 27 years of work of The 100 Black Men of Los Angeles and the achievements of living history-makers. The theme of the gala was Honoring Contributions to Humanity, Diversity and Visionary Leadership: Taking Our Mission to Higher Levels.

Master of Ceremonies was Chris Schauble, co-anchor of NBC4’s “Today in LA, Channel 4 News Midday Report, and the recipient of 5 Golden Microphone awards since joining NBC in 2001. Entertainment was provided by Manhattan/Blue Note artist, writer, arranger and producer, and smooth jazz chart-topper, Everette Harp, and Chicago native, and 2003 Stellar Award nominee for Best New Artist of the Year and Urban/Inspirational CD of the Year, Mark Allen Felton aka Panther.

2008 honorees included Man of the Year, Senator and Democratic nominee for President of the United States, Barack Obama; Woman of the Year, Honorable Karen Bass, the first Democratic woman and the first Black woman in the country to serve as Speaker of the House in a state legislature role; Lifetime Achievement Award to groundbreaking researcher and pioneer neurosurgeon Dr. Keith Black, Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery and Director of the Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center; Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. James M. Rosser, Professor of Health Care Management and President of California State University, Los Angeles; Special Achievement Award to Dr. Wanda M. Austin, who oversees nearly 4000 employees and a $800 million budget as President and Chief Executive Officer of The Aerospace Corporation, an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to the objective application of science and technology toward the solution of critical issues affecting the nation’s space program; and the Community Partner Award to The Annenberg Foundation, which has since 1989 donated over $400 million to advance the public well-being through improved communication by encouraging the development of more effective ways to share ideas and knowledge; and Brother of the Year, Dr. Anthony Asadullah Samad, a best-selling author, columnist and scholar and the 10th President of The 100 Black Men of Los Angeles.

For more than 20 years, The 100 Black Men of Los Angeles have mentored over 20,000 Black youth and, through its Young Black Scholars Education Program, seen 98% of its participants enroll in a 4-year college or university; 92% have graduated with a BA degree; and over 80% are pursuing (many have obtained) a graduate degree.