Gibson hosts Women’s Herstory Month celebration

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson on Wednesday partnered with Ponce Bank, NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln, SBH Health Systems, Verizon and Fidelis Care to host her annual Women’s Herstory Month celebration at the Grand Slam Banquet Hall on East Tremont Avenue in the Bronx.

Honorees for the evening were: Founder of the South Bronx Academy for Applied Media in New York City, Dr. Roshone Ault Lee; and President of Eugenio Maria de Hostos Community College, Daisy Cocco De Filippis, Ph.D., who is the first Dominican Republic woman to serve as a City University of New York (CUNY) college president.

Also honored were: Executive Director of Green Bronx Machine, Lizette B. Ritz; and Vice President of Nursing Quality and Informatics, St. Barnabas Health Systems (SBH), Jacqueline A. Witter.

Receiving the Youth Award was newly named National Stem Champion Treyonna Sullivan.

“It was very gratifying to be honored as the first Dominican (Republic) woman to serve as president of a CUNY College during Women’s History Month, as these recognitions serve to remind us not only of how far we have come, but also how far we have yet to go to finally achieving full equality with men.” Dr. De Filippis told Caribbean Life afterwards.

“The struggle for equality continues to be fought by women every day, across every socio-economic level; and, for women of color, the struggle is even harder,” she added.

“So, the fact that I was honored by our esteemed Vanessa Gibson, the first African-American, and the first woman to serve as the Bronx Borough President, makes the recognition all the more meaningful, as it comes from someone who understands intrinsically the challenges that a woman of color faces when entering the corridors of power in our society,” De Filippis continued.