Union Bank, KPBS Honor 2014 Local HeroesAs Part of Black History Month
San Diego, CA (PRWEB) February 24, 2014 -- In celebration of Black History Month and as part of its ongoing commitment to cultural diversity and responsible banking, Union Bank, N.A., has partnered with KPBS in San Diego to honor extraordinary African Americans as local heroes. The 2014 Black History Month honorees are: former professor and breast cancer awareness advocate Tessie Bonner, and J.T. Inge, Joe Earl Jackson, and Dr. Carrel Reavis, Original Montford Point Marines.
They will be recognized in February at a private dinner celebration with their families and executives from KPBS and Union Bank.
Since 1998, KPBS and Union Bank have collaborated on the Local Heroes program and recognized nearly 190 honorees. The program pays tribute to exemplary leaders who are making a difference and enriching the lives of others by improving their community, region and the world at large. The 2014 Black History Month honorees demonstrate a shared commitment to providing their communities with the tools to thrive in today’s changing world.
Throughout the year, honorees will also be identified during Women’s History Month (March); Jewish American Heritage Month (May); Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (May); LGBT Pride Month (June); Hispanic Heritage Month (September/October); Disability Awareness Month (October); and American Indian Heritage Month (November).
“We congratulate our Local Heroes for all they do in the community and for embodying Union Bank’s values of giving back,” said Union Bank Senior Executive Vice President Pierre P. Habis, head of Community Banking. “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with KPBS as we recognize these extraordinary honorees who dedicate so much of themselves to the San Diego community.”
“We are pleased to continue our partnership with Union Bank as we honor these inspiring individuals,” said Tom Karlo, KPBS general manager. “It is a privilege to highlight the contributions of these local heroes within our programming. From fighting for our country to equipping women with the tools to fight for their health, these individuals have positively influenced the African American community and San Diego at large.”
The 2014 honorees for Black History Month are:
Tessie Bonner is a cosmetologist and breast cancer awareness advocate. A former professor of cosmetology for San Diego City College and a longtime hair salon owner, Ms. Bonner partnered with UC San Diego’s Moores Cancer Center to create African American Cosmetologists Promoting Health, a program that trains salon professionals to educate clients on breast cancer awareness. The program began in 1994 and has grown throughout the U.S. to help thousands of women. Ms. Bonner has received numerous awards, such as the Soroptimist International Woman of Accomplishment award, Women Helping Women award, and Woman of Distinction award from San Diego Women Incorporated. She has also been honored by the National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women (NOBEL Women).
J.T. Inge, Joe Earl Jackson, and Dr. Carrel Reavis are Original Montford Point Marines members of the San Diego Chapter of the National Montford Point Marine Association, a non-profit veteran organization established to celebrate the legacy of the first African Americans who entered the United States Marine Corps between 1942-1949. Retired Gunnery Sergeant Mr. Inge, Retired First Sergeant Mr. Jackson, and Retired Gunnery Sergeant Dr. Reavis were among the first 20,000 African American men who enlisted in the Marines and were sent to the segregated Montford Point Camp for training in New River, North Carolina. All three men served more than 20 years in the Marine Corps before moving on to other careers in the San Diego area. In 2012, the former Marines were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the nation's highest civilian honor, “for outstanding perseverance and courage that inspired social change in the Marine Corps.”
KPBS features a wide range of Black History Month programming during February. For more information or to nominate a future local hero, please visit http://www.kpbs.org/heroes or unionbank.com/heroes.
About UnionBanCal Corporation & Union Bank, N.A.
Headquartered in San Francisco, UnionBanCal Corporation is a financial holding company with assets of $105.9 billion at December 31, 2013. Its primary subsidiary, Union Bank, N.A., provides an array of financial services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, and major corporations. The bank operated 420 branches in California, Washington, Oregon, Texas, Illinois, New York and Georgia, as well as 2 international offices, on December 31, 2013. UnionBanCal Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd., which is a subsidiary of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. Union Bank is a proud member of the Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, one of the world’s largest financial organizations. In July 2013, American Banker Magazine and the Reputation Institute ranked Union Bank #1 for reputation among its customers. Visit http://www.unionbank.com for more information.
About KPBS
KPBS serves our local communities with news and entertainment programming that respects our audience with inspiring, intelligent and enlightening content. KPBS will deliver this content via multiple outlets, including television, radio, and digital media and will adapt and remain relevant in a rapidly changing world. KPBS values integrity, truth, transparency and lifelong learning. At KPBS we strive to engage with our citizens and showcase the unique neighborhoods and people that make our community thrive. And as a public service of San Diego State University, education is a core value – from our children’s programming to our local news coverage. KPBS is committed to being a reliable source for in-depth, thoughtful, and high quality content.
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Tanya Peebles-Hill, Union Bank, http://www.unionbank.com, +1 (213) 236-5329, [email protected]
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