AT&T’s Charlene Lake, Hip Hop Legend MC Lyte, among
NUL “Women of Power” Honorees
Pictured (from left to right): CBS News Correspondent Michelle Miller; NUL Board Chair Michael Neidorff; AT&T’s Senior Vice President, Public Affairs and Chief Sustainability; and NUL President and CEO Marc Morial.
Last week, the National Urban League held its annual conference, “Save Our Cities: Education, Jobs & Justice” in Ft. Lauderdale, FL at which it presented its “Women of Power Awards” to some of the nation’s emerging and groundbreaking leaders for their outstanding contributions in the areas of arts, politics, journalism, justice, and sports.
This year’s awardees were Hip Hop Legend, Entrepreneur, and Philanthropist Lana “MC Lyte” Moorer; Charlene Lake, Senior Vice President Public Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer, AT&T; Hon. Rosie Rios,Treasurer, U.S. Department of the Treasury; U.S. Representative Frederica Wilson; Dr. Valerie Thompson, President and CEO, Urban League of Greater Oklahoma City, Association of Executives President, and National Urban League Trustee; and Lisa Borders, Chairman, Coca-Cola Foundation, and Coca Cola Company Vice President of Global Community Connections. CBS News Correspondent Michelle Miller presented the awards, along with NUL President and CEO Marc Morial and NUL Board Chair Michael Neidorff.
Below is an except from remarks made by Women of Power awardee, Charlene Lake, AT&T’s SVP of Public Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer:
“Thank you Michael, Marc and Michelle. I’m humbled to accept this honor amidst so many amazing women, including those of you in the audience. I want to share with you the 3 pieces of advice my mother gave me when she told me she wanted me to grow up to be a strong and independent woman.
First, she said that all my power and all my strength would be allowed only through my Creator. So make Him a priority. Second, she said, to never depend on a man out of necessity, but only by choice. And finally, she said to get strength by giving strength. When you help someone, you make her stronger, you make her community stronger, you make yourself stronger. She would never know that that last piece of advice embodies the spirit of the organization I’m so proud to serve — The National Urban League.
I want to thank my company, AT&T, for being an unrelenting and passionate supporter of women and people of color — inside and outside the company. I want to thank my husband, who I’ve CHOSEN every day for 30 years. And I especially want to thank Marc and Michelle, for inspiring all of us to use our power to Save our Cities.
Thank you all…and please remember…Don’t Text and Drive. Whatever it is…it can wait.”
MMTC congratulates NUL, Charlene Lake, and all of these inspiring women for their hard work, success, and advocacy, as they have worked to blaze trails for new roads for women everywhere!
