Press - Hardy Williams Education Fund

Inaugural class of Hardy Williams Education Fund scholars presented Late lawmaker’s dedication to developing youthful leadership, educational opportunities, continues

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 15, 2010 – The Hardy Williams Education Fund, established to further the legacy and advocacy of the late trailblazing community activist and lawmaker, introduced its inaugural class of scholarship recipients during a Monday evening awards reception. Christopher Carter, Mara Harrington and Yohn Hall Jr. entered history as the first HWEF scholars, one of several programs to be advanced by the year-old nonprofit entity. The fund awarded scholarships ranging from $500 to $2,500 based on the quality of applications, written essays, academics and recommendations. HWEF scholarship candidates must attend or plan to attend Philadelphia schools. Recipients are drawn from a pool that includes graduate and undergraduate college students and graduating seniors from public, parochial or charter schools. The fund awards scholarships ranging from $500 to $2,500 based “This education fund came together to not only honor the memory of Hardy Williams, but to help continue the work he started,” said Lynette Brown-Sow, chair of the fund’s board. “Hardy was not only committed to the cause, but he was committed to the people, which meant cultivating a new generation of leadership.” Carter, a political science senior at Cheyney University, hails from the Homewood area of Pittsburgh and is planning a career in law. Harrington, a Doylestown native now living in Philadelphia, is pursuing a paralegal career after recently deciding to switch from hair and design field. And Hall is a graduating 8th grader at the Laboratory Charter School of Communications and Languages. The education fund is seeding an endowment to sustain its scholarship and other related programs. To date, it has raised $100,000 toward those efforts. Attendees at Monday night’s program ranged from elected officials to family members to longtime supporters and mentees of Williams. They shared reflections about and wisdom from Williams. “He had an intensity of purpose, regardless of the color of your skin, your religion, your background,” said Mayor Michael A. Nutter. “Hardy Williams was for you if you were about something. There are a lot of ways to recognize [his] good work. This is one of them. This organization is about something.” Listening to the stream of speakers at the podium and throughout the audience gave 14-year-old Yohn Hall Jr. an even better sense of the man. “He just made it seem as though there were no limits in life,” Hall said. “He was for equal rights for everyone. His message seemed to be, ‘Don’t limit yourself.’ That was for himself and his family and people he met.” Hall certainly has no limits on his ambition, aspiring to attend Germantown Friends School, then college, and then a career as a socially-responsible entrepreneur, one who will “give back to the community.” The education fund seeks to aid students whose career goals center on practicing law or other engagement in social change, particularly through nonprofit or government fields, the venues of choice for Williams. “This scholarship is significant for us, as a family,” said state Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams. “It may be a humble contribution to your future, but it is within a tradition of providing support. When my father came through, he didn’t really have that. He stepped through life on faith. “If we can give you a small measure of support, we know you can duplicate that tenfold, as he did.” Having served in both the state House and Senate, Williams sought to establish a pipeline of leaders that would work to improve the city, region and state. Beneficiaries of his foresight range from former Mayor W. Wilson Goode Sr. to current Philadelphia District Attorney R. Seth Williams. Harrington is ready to join the ranks of those seeking to pursue law and justice as Hardy Williams defined them, including everyone and mistreating no one. She saw first-hand that being able to maneuver within the legal system can make all the difference. After an investigation was opened against her friend behind a misunderstanding, her documented notes of the situation led to charges being withdrawn. She salvaged her friend’s reputation and reaffirmed her faith in the system. The incident solidified her decision to put her newfound skills to work in a wider arena. “The law appeals to me for exactly that reason,” said Harrington, 32. “What I appreciated most about Hardy Williams was his courage and his willingness to take on topics that most people may be hesitant to work with. I admired his work with those less fortunate. He cared about people, and so do I.” As does Carter. He certainly isn’t buying the hype that young people cannot make a difference, or simply are too indifferent to care without some hoopla egging them on. Since middle school, he’s been paying attention to the nation’s direction under the Bush Administration. By the time he entered Cheyney, he knew his career path would revolve around law and politics. He’s made inroads along the way as student body president and a leader within his campus NAACP chapter. “It’s always important to represent those who have been left out of the decision-making process. There is currently a struggle between interests in our country, where people often feel underrepresented,” the 21-year-old said. “What is needed in our generation today is a successful effort to build stronger grassroots political connections, developed for our community to be more actively counted and represented in decisions made by elected officials – more than they are today.” It’s a sentiment that would have made Hardy Williams beam. During his decades-long political career, the under 21 set often were among his most ardent supporters. From his historic 1971 run for mayor to his outspoken advocacy for inclusive political representation in and out of office, Williams ushered a swath of people of various ethnicities, genders and background into elective and appointed offices and impacted political outcomes across Pennsylvania and the United States. He died in January after battling Alzheimer’s disease. Elmer Smith, columnist at the Philadelphia Daily News, and the night’s emcee praised the named scholars, drawing attention to their collective and extensive community service activities amid stellar academic careers. “Hardy once said, ‘My most formidable opponent is apathy,’” Smith recalled. “When you look at these students, you see they are on the go. They are busy. The lesson in that for all of us is that we need to get busy. We need to be in service, in continuous service to others. That is our legacy.”

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