February 29, 2020

Cordish, Live! Casino & Hotel and MWMCA celebrate The 7th Annual Black History Hero’s Awards

On Feb. 24, in celebration of Black History Month, The Cordish Companies, Live! Casino & Hotel and the Md. Washington Minority Companies Association (MWMCA) celebrated The 7th Annual Black History Heroes Awards. The ceremony held at Live! Center Stage recognized 10 Maryland and D.C. businesses and community leaders who have contributed to their communities and citizens in a positive way.

Several of the honorees gave remarks during the ceremony, including Maryland House Speaker Adrienne Jones, who discussed the importance of educating future generations about influential African-American leaders in our nation’s history. She urged the crowd to take time to visit the two newly unveiled statues of Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass in the Old House of Delegates Chamber at the Maryland State House.

David Gadis, CEO and General Manager of D.C. Water spoke about the sacrifices made by so many trailblazers, like the honorees being recognized at the celebration, to continue to ensure that our communities prioritize diversity and inclusivity.

Former Negro League Baseball Star Luther “Luke” Atkinson delivered the evening’s keynote speech highlighting his incredible career and discussed the racism that his teammates faced on a daily basis. Atkinson remarked, “Although my teammates knew what we were up against, we persevered. We all played for tomorrow and for the love of the game.”

The 2020 Black History Heroes honorees included:

Luther “Luke” Atkinson, Former Negro league Baseball Star, Satchel Paige All-Stars
Adrienne A. Jones - House Speaker/Member, District 10, Maryland House of Delegates
David L. Gadis - CEO and General Manager, DC Water
Joseph T. Jones, Jr. - President and CEO, Center for Urban Families
Roz Hamlett - Director of Multimedia Communications, Anne Arundel County, MD
Le Gretta Ross-Rawlins - Baltimore Postmaster, United States Post Office
Bert J. Hash, Jr. - Former President and CEO, Municipal Employees Credit Union (MECU)
Warner H. Session, Esq. - Principal and Board Member, Session Law Firm, P.C./Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA)
Janice Hayes-Williams - Coordinator, Cultural Resources – Department of Planning and Zoning, Anne Arundel County, MD
David Wilson - President, Morgan State University

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