Norris P. Gregory Jr., 85, the first black council member in the of San Bernardino, died April 21, 2011. (This is a reporter photograph of a photograph.) (04/28/2011, None / The Press-Enterprise)
(San Bernardino, Calif.). There is a nomination for naming the 2.5 acre multi-use park on E Street between 9th and 10th streets, Norris P. Gregory Park.
The park will be maintained by the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District. It will have sitting areas, an outdoor fitness exercise area, playgrounds, picnic areas, basketball court, skateboard area, multi-use field, walkways and splash pad.
It is being built with a $5 million grant and will be ready for use at the beginning of 2017. Below is a bullet list of accomplishments for Mr. Gregory who died in 2002.
Norris Paige Gregory, Jr.
• He was a resident of San Bernardino from 1958 to his death at the age of 85 in 2011
• Elected and served as San Bernardino City’s first African American councilman also making him the first African American elected official in San Bernardino County.
• Served the 6th Ward for 2 terms starting in 1967 to 1975
• He was a member of the NAACP, the Urban League, the Mexican Chamber of Commerce as well as the VFW and American Legion
• The San Bernardino and California Teachers Associations and an Honorary Mason.
• He owned a business up until his death on the Westside.
• He served with the Redevelopment Agency
• He was an assistant district administrator for the office of Congressman George E. Brown, Jr.
• He was a teacher and administrator for San Bernardino City Unified School district
• He was an activist working for improving the underserved and minorities in San Bernardino
“I am trying to collect 100 signatures from San Bernardino residents’” said Vera Campbell . “I have an application to fill out and then I turn it in for City Council to approve. I don’t think there is much competition but getting those 100 signatures is proving difficult. I started something that I will see to the end. My phone number is 909-804-1021 if you have suggestions.”
Photo caption: Honoring some of the unsung heroes who have worked diligently to improve the lives of others throughout the Inland Empire, The Black Cultural Foundation awarded the 2011 Black Rose Award to the following award community advocates: (back row left to right) Juanita Dawson, James Butts, Jimmie Brown, Herb English Jr., John Futch, Mark Campbell, Vicki Lee, Carl Dameron, Timothy Evans from The Unforgettables Foundation, Dr. Queen Hamilton, (left to right front row) Geraldine Reaves, Jennifer Vaughn-Blakely and Dr. Harold Cebrun. Photo by Chris Sloan.
(San Bernardino, CA) The Black Culture Foundation celebrates 25 years of honoring unsung heroes in the Inland Empire when it hosts the Black Rose Awards on Sept. 12 at the National Orange Show.
The Black Rose was the brainstorm of Dr. Juanita Scott, Jim King and Jeffrey Hill, who was a close friend and play son to 2014 Program Co-Chair Margaret Hill.
“I can still remember the Black Culture Foundation meeting more than 25 years ago where Jim King and Jeff Hill started discussing how there are so many people doing great things but never getting recognized,” Margaret Hill said. “Then Dr. Juanita Scott, and perhaps the rest of us chimed in. We all thought it was a great idea to have this special celebration for unsung heroes.
The idea of Black Roses was King’s idea.
“We were all taken aback by it at first,” Margaret Hill said. “Jim explained that since Black is often known as being negative, and roses are known for being beautiful, it was appropriate to combine them into Black Roses, which changes the myths about Blacks.”
Since 1990, the Black Culture Foundation has honored some of its heroes with Black Rose Awards. It has also bestowed special awards on some since the beginning.
It established the Humanitarian of the Year Award its first year. It was named in honor of Dr. Juanita Scott because of her dedication and financial commitment to the Black Culture Foundation. Jim King received the first award.
It established the Commitment to Community Service Award in 2006, giving that award in honor of Margaret Hill in recognition of her volunteer work in the cities of San Bernardino and Highland. Veatrice Jews received the first award.
It established the Jim King Special Community Service Award in 2009, which is presented only every five years. Brian Townsend received the first award in 2009 for providing the African-American community with helpful and relevant information by publishing the Precinct Reporter and for his community service.
The deadline to nominate an unsung hero for the Black Rose Awards is Thursday, July 31. Applications can be downloaded from www.sbbcfoundation.org. After carefully filling them out, email them to Margaret Hill at marrobhill@aol.com or to Program Co-chair Troy Ingram at unicorncol@sbcglobal.net or in regular mail to The San Bernardino Black Culture Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 7288, San Bernardino, CA 92411.
The Black Culture Foundation seeks sponsors to make the celebration gala a success. It offers several levels of sponsorship.
Gold Sponsor for $2,000 (receives full-page ads in the Black Rose and Miss Black San Bernardino pageant programs, 12 tickets to the Black Rose Awards, and the company logo listed on the Black Culture Foundation website and marketing materials.)
Silver Sponsor for $1,500 (receives full-page ads in the Black Rose and Miss Black San Bernardino pageant programs, 10 tickets to the Black Rose Awards, and the company logo listed on the Black Culture Foundation website and marketing materials.
A half page ad (no tickets) for $250
A fourth-page ad (no tickets) for $125
A business card (3 ½ x 5 ½) ad for $50.
Anyone who received a Black Rose Award during the first 24 years can have their photo in the event program for $50
Anyone can have their name listed in the program for $25
24th Annual – 2013 Humanitarian of the Year was A Majadi. The 2013 Commitment to Service Award went to Ron Cochran. The Black Rose recipients were: Eula Charles, Miriam Vickers, Keyisha Holmes, Judge Richard Fields, Kennon Mitchell, Ed.D, Pastor Robert Fairley, George Bowser and Anita Dimery.
Tickets for this event are $60 per person or table of ten for $600. Table sponsors will be acknowledged at Black Rose Awards. Checks should be made to the San Bernardino Black Culture Foundation (SBBCF)
(San Bernardino, CA) – Carl Dameron, president of Dameron Communications, has been nominated for recognition in the Fourth Annual Spirit of the Entrepreneur awards sponsored by California State University, San Bernardino.
The award honors local business people who have overcome challenges and given back to their community.
“I am honored to be considered for this award,” Dameron said. Dameron said he also appreciates how this awards program promotes an awareness of entrepreneurship among the Inland Empire’s youth.
“They need to realize there are successful professionals who live right down the street from them,” he said.
Dameron, 47, established Dameron Communications in 1989 after a marketing campaign for his former employer, AutoSound, increased that company’s profits by 250 percent. Despite his marketing success, Auto Sound was not able to keep Dameron on the payroll, so he parlayed that success into a business that has helped many other companies and non-profit organizations reach new customers.
Dameron has also worked as a journalist before, both on radio and newspaper. That experience still helps him in dealing with media.
“I see things with a journalist’s eye,” he said.
Some of Dameron’s earliest customers were in the automotive business, and while he has had large corporations as clients, today’s clients include non-profit organizations that pay a reduced rate. Dameron doesn’t charge them full price because he believes they are performing important services for the community.
For instance, the African-American Health Initiative promotes that African Americans in San Bernardino County will die, on average, 13 years before those of other races. The average African-American man in this county will not live to see his 56th birthday.
As the father of two young girls, Dameron does not want to be part of that statistic.
“I want to see my daughters graduate from high school,” he said. “I want to walk them to the altar on their wedding days.” Dameron also is an event producer.
The largest event he is involved with is the Inland Empire Diversity Job Fairs, and he assists the Inland Empire African-American Chambers of Commerce in bringing these to various San Bernardino and Riverside County locations. In the 14 years, they have helped thousands of residents find jobs close to home.
“People should be able to work where they live,” Dameron said. “The job fairs help local employers meet face to face with local people.”
Even though Dameron has recently started another business, 909Models.com, his workforce is still small, with just four full-time employees. The employees keep busy all day, and are talented at what they do, freeing them to concentrate on increasing business.
“I hire good people and stay out of their way,” he said. Frank Doughton, an account executive with the Riverside Press-Enterprise, nominated Dameron for this award.
“Carl has done so much, with his agency, the job fairs, starting 909Models.com and his agency,” Doughton said. “He has been out there, taking the risks, and I just think it’s time he got some recognition.”
Michael Stull, director of the Inland Center for Entrepreneurship, started this recognition program soon after coming to CSUSB in 2002. His university began the program with assistance from the Press-Enterprise, which continues to be a co-sponsor. Other sponsors this year include Arrowhead Credit Union, Citizens Business Bank, Citibank, Inland Empire National Bank, Loma Linda University Medical Center, Varner Saleson and Brandt LLP, Soren McAdam Christenson LLP, Family Business Partnership, Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce, Glencrest Investment Advisors, the Riverside Convention Center, Wilkin Guge Marketing, KVCR, KTIE, and Milestone Media.
Stull said this program not only promotes awareness of the Center for Entrepreneurship but also provides role models to CSUSB students interested in starting their businesses.
“Students need to know about the great things people are doing right here,” he said.
The deadline to nominate an entrepreneur is Aug. 15. To do so, go to www.inlandspiritawards.com
For more information, call Stull at (909)) 537-3708
