NEW BEDFORD – Dennison Memorial Community Center is pleased to announce that its Third Annual Founders Award community honoree will be Lee Blake. Blake, along with an alumni and a member recipient of the award, will be feted at a dinner celebration Friday, Sept. 27, at the Whaling Museum.
Blake, a native of New Bedford, has been active in education reform for more than 40 years – as a teacher and administrator in New Bedford and New York.
Her career began as a high school teacher of African American studies, where she worked on curriculum projects to integrate African American and Women’s Studies themes into mainstream humanities classes. She has continued this work throughout her career in NYC government, as a university administrator and currently as a volunteer with the New Bedford Historical Society. As president of the New Bedford Historical Society, Blake leads a grassroots organization that preserves and celebrates the legacy of African Americans, Cape Verdeans and Native Americans in New Bedford.
Her leadership, vision, and work to re-claim the history of Black people in New Bedford has changed the historical narrative of New Bedford and raised the awareness of its role as an important center of freedom and abolitionism during the 19thcentury. Blake has led the efforts to restore and preserve the Nathan and Mary Johnson House, the first home in freedom of Anna and Frederick Douglass, an Underground Railroad site and now a National Historic Landmark due to the efforts to Society members.
Blake is a 1983 graduate of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and the first minor in Women’s Studies given out by the college. Blake has received several awards for her work as a preservationist including the Robert G. Stanton Award for her work promoting and preserving the history of the Underground Railroad by the National Park Service in 2018.
“Dennison creates an environment where our members can thrive,” said Dennison President & CEO James Mathes. “Role models like Lee are important not only to our community, but to places like Dennison, where the kids look to local success stories for hope and inspiration. We are grateful to Lee and all those who support the mission of Dennison through donations, sponsorships and events like the Founders Award Dinner.”
Situated in the South End, Dennison Memorial Community Center has been in existence for 151 years. Dennison’s mission is to improve the educational attainment and personal development of at-risk youth and families by providing education, recreation and intervention services in a safe environment. Currently, Dennison serves more than 700 youth members. The Dennison Founders Awards Dinner, presented by Bristol County Savings Bank, celebrates Dennison Memorial Community Center and the four women who founded it. Tickets to the dinner, catered by Russell Morin Catering, are available online here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dennison-founders-awards-dinner-tickets-65117207320