New York State Assemblywoman Kimberly Jean-Pierre (D-Lindenhurst) recently participated in the 49^th Annual Legislative Conference Weekend hosted in Albany by the New York State Association of Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian (BPHA) Legislative Caucus, of which she is a member. The annual weekend features dozens of issue-oriented workshops pertaining to topic areas ranging from housing and healthcare to poverty and criminal justice. Jean-Pierre sponsored and participated in several workshops including those related to housing discrimination, women’s empowerment, elder care disparities and the school-to-prison pipeline.

Every year, the BPHA Caucus organizes an awards ceremony which is held to recognize and honor those who have made significant contributions to our communities and the larger cause of racial and economic justice. This year, Jean-Pierre unveiled a new award of recognition that will be known as the “Delano Stewart Award.” Named after the late Delano Stewart, who was a community activist and civil rights leader from the hamlet of Wyandanch on Long Island, the award is presented to individuals who have made great contributions to the improvement of the quality of life in underserved communities on Long Island, and who are champions of black economic empowerment, advocates for marginalized communities and distinguished leaders among his or her peers. He or she will have spent a lifetime working tirelessly through community planning and activism.

This year’s selected honorees are Tracey A. Edwards, Commissioner of the New York State Public Service Commission and Long Island Regional Director of the NAACP, and Elaine Gross, Founder and President of ERASE Racism.

“Tracey Edwards and Elaine Gross have dedicated their lives to fighting for justice and equity and they represent the very best of our communities,” said Jean-Pierre. “They embody everything that Delano Stewart stood for and represented, and I am so proud to honor each of them with this prestigious recognition.”

Edwards was appointed Commissioner of the Public Service Commission by Governor Cuomo in June of 2019 and has a wealth of experience in both the public sector and telecommunications industry. A former Trustee on the Huntington Town Council, she spearheaded the creation of the Huntington Opportunity Resource Center and championed legislation to strengthen the Town’s Ethics Code by incorporating the New York State Comptroller’s model code of ethics. In addition to her current work with the NAACP, Edwards associates herself with several other not-for-profit organizations including Habitat for Humanity of Suffolk, United Way of Long Island, and the Melville Lions Club. Most recently, she has been on the frontlines speaking out and collaborating with other community leaders to devise solutions in response to alleged discriminatory practices in Long Island’s housing industry.

As President of ERASE Racism, Gross has led the regional civil rights organization to local and national prominence for its cutting-edge work in addressing the devastating impact of historical and ongoing structural racism, particularly in housing and public school education. In her role, she has published research reports, undertaken litigation, advocated for policy changes and heightened public understanding of the context of structural racism as it relates to housing discrimination and segregation. She frequently delivers speeches to government, not-for-profit organizations, business groups, colleges and universities, and she is a member of the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council.

Delano Stewart was a staunch advocate for black voter empowerment and frequently organized for and engaged with local candidates for elected office. He was considered a driving force for the hamlet of Wyandanch who prided himself on speaking truth to power and moving the community forward. He was a full-time writer and publisher for the weekly Point of View newspaper which he founded in the early 1990s, which he used as a communication platform to voice community concerns about issues affecting Wyandanch. He passed away in 2017 and is survived by his wife Anne and daughters Nikki and Dara Stewart. Anne and Nikki were present for the unveiling of Delano’s award at this year’s ceremony.