More than $224,475 was raised at the United Way’s African-American Leadership/Charmaine Chapman Society 2010 kickoff, July 1 at the Kemp Auto Museum in Chesterfield.
The society set a $1.8 million goal toward the overall United Way campaign. More than 300 African Americans attended.
“Leaders are people who give back to the community, and we’re in a roomful of leaders,” said Richard Mark, 2010 African American Leadership Society chair and senior vice president, Customer Operations, Ameren Corporation. “You are an important part of this region.”
United Way’s African-American Leadership Society is the number one philanthropic program for African Americans in the St. Louis region. United Way is investing more than $18,580,000 into 57 funded agencies that primarily serve African Americans in 2010. Approximately 29 percent of people helped through United Way are African-American.
“As a single mother of two, I needed help when I was younger,” said Amy Hunter, director of racial justice with the YWCA.
“I found it through Stella Maris, a United Way funded agency. Without United Way, Stella Maris would not have been able to help me. As soon as I was able, I began giving to United Way and have been giving ever since.”
She said that racism is a problem that affects everyone, regardless of what they look like. The attitudes, stereotypes, and misconceptions about people who are different can result in systemic and institutional discrimination within the region and the world.
“Most people are shocked when we say we have the largest African-American giving society among the 1,300 United Ways nationally” Hunter said. “When it comes to caring, we, as African Americans, step up.”
In 2009, the Society raised more than $1.7 million for United Way of Greater St. Louis with 820-plus members.
Orvin Kimbrough, senior vice president with United Way, said the event was a huge success.
“We were able to mobilize a nice mix of familiar faces and new leaders,” he said. “I was really excited to see two or more generations of donors like with Richard and his sons, and Darnetta Clinkscale and her daughter Aliah who works at Express Scripts.”
Keith Antone Willis, publisher of Who’s Who in Black St. Louis and a member of the Charmaine Chapman Society Cabinet, spoke about the original purpose and initiation of the society, which was founded in 1994 by Dr. Donald Suggs, publisher of the St. Louis American.
“Its intent then and now is to encourage and recognize giving in the black community through United Way,” Willis said.
Mark said that he has been connected to the Charmaine Chapman Society for a number of years—and each year he gets more and more involved.
This year Mark asked Pat Smith-Thurman, a longtime executive from MasterCard International, to help him in securing larger gifts.
“I’ve engaged an entire team of leaders who are not shy about asking for support for the community,” he said. “They are standing behind me.”
Mark praised the region for having some of the best companies in the world, a manageable cost of living, great sports teams, and neighbors who care.
“St. Louis is incredibly generous, and the African-American community outfights its weight locally and nationally,” Kimbrough said.
