Front Page
Commentary
Letters
Editorial
Feature
Health
Profile
Perspective
Legal
Real Estate
Finance
Africa News
Community
Arts & Entertainment

About Us
Advertising Info
Subscribe
Survey
Chat Room
Bulletin Board
Guest Book


Search

Past Issues

Current Weather
7-day Forecast
Traffic Map

2001 KIZZY AWARDS & BLACK LOVE

CHICAGO:- Jon Daye’s 24^th annual Kizzy awards gala was as full of surprises as the 1980 salute. It was that year that Stevie Wonder (a non-performing guest) was moved to tears by a poem Jon Daye had written, that Wonder was inspired to perform an impromptu 45-minute medley of his best selling love songs to the delight of the SRO-audience of Chicago’s black-tied elite, mixed with some of Detroit’s finest, and a Hill Billy wedding party that crashed the Kizzy Awards gala once they learned that Stevie Wonder was performing in the main Ballroom of the Palmer House.

In 1980, a federal judge, U.S. Magistrate Joyce London-Alexander, Dr. Arnita Boswell (CEDCO), blind Olympic skier Christine Montgomery, Playboy’s Christie Hefner, Proctor & Gardner prexy Barbara Proctor, WCFL’s Wanda Wells and Standard Oil’s (Amoco) Robbie Smith were among those honored. On Sunday, June 10^th, some 11-years later, the red-draped Circuit Clerk of Cook County, Dorothy Brown and a similarly dressed Cheryl Nolan of Jewels-Osco was joined by her namesake Cheryl Hyman (ComEd), Dominick’s Wynona Redmond, popular Mamie Rogers, Abraham Lincoln Centre, HRDI’s Lena Pope and the irrepressible Daria Dilliard Stone whose entourage included almost 30-guests from the Dayton-Cincinnati, Ohio area. Additional ‘Media Impact Awards’ were presented to Chicago Defender staffers Theresa Fambro Hooks, Chinta Strausberg and Ingrid Bridges.

But the big news at the 2000-01 Kizzy Awards was the June showing of a January fashion item. A parade of luxurious, full length fur coats from Island Furs, were shown just before Bob Dale, Carl Murrain and Jon Daye presented the coveted Kizzy Awards. As Berry James Jr. called his beautiful furs back to the Lexington House stage for his grand finale, volunteer models Vera James, Daintier Williams, Barbara Morgan Spencer, Soynina Walton (Kizzy alum), Robin Price (a recipient of the Kizzy Award), all selected at random by Daye from the audience, were asked to pull the sealed envelopes, they would find from the pockets of their fur coats.

Needless to say, one happy guest walked away with a beautiful Red Fox full-length fur, a Caribbean cruise (for two). Not to be outdone an inspired Calvin Flowers bounded to the stage and promptly announced that he was going to award his special lady (his fiancé) with a cruise also. However, Mr. Flowers brought the house down when he seized the moment of glory to promote his newest invention, a ‘Security Jack’ that allows the homeowner to lock her phone and home computer and allow only emergency calls to be made. Others to feel the love of the generous television/radio personality were Indiana’s V. Essia Barnett, Lynda Odigie and Angela Buckels.

The fun, beautiful furs, exotic African music, free cruises and Day Spa pampering, along with the wonderful poetry of handsome Gregg Brown, made this Kizzy Awards perhaps the most memorable to date. As former Revlon vice president, V. Essia Barnett said, ‘This is not the end of the KizzyAwards, rather the beginning of ‘a new Daye.’ A day long over-due. This is a day wrapped in love and showered upon us (Black Women) by our men folks. Long live Jon Daye and the Kizzy Awards.”

Listen to The Journalist's Soldiers of Fortune CD