Association of Black Harvard Women set to honor Ed Gordon

The Association of Black Harvard Women will kick off its 30th year by honoring renowned journalist and broadcaster Ed Gordon as its Outstanding Man of the Year at the annual 2005 Tribute to Black Men to be held on April 16.

Each year, the association holds a Tribute to Black Men to honor distinguished black men on Harvard’s campus and beyond. The tribute was established to promote political awareness and cultural celebration and to honor the leadership of black men in the community and in society as a whole. The centerpiece of the event is the presentation of the Outstanding Man of the Year Vanguard Award to a distinguished black male outside the Harvard community. Past honorees include psychologist Alvin Poussaint, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s Image Award winner Michael Eric Dyson, and most recently, talk show host Montel Williams.

An Emmy Award-winning broadcaster, Gordon is best known for his intelligent, honest, and no-nonsense style and approach to reporting. He distinguished himself as anchor of Black Entertainment Television (BET) News, host of “BET Tonight,” and creator of his one-on-one interview series “Conversation with Ed Gordon.” Throughout his career, he has hosted such luminaries as President Bill Clinton, Minister Louis Farrakhan, Sen. John Kerry, and Oprah Winfrey. Gordon is a recipient of the NAACP Image Award and the Journalist of the Year Award from the National Association of Black Journalists. The Los Angeles Times once called his interviewing style “forthright and commanding.”

According to the association, Gordon is being honored for “exemplifying the values of leadership, activism, integrity, and commitment to the black community.” He will be honored and will speak at an evening dinner on April 16 at Boston’s Back Bay Hilton. The program will feature performances by Harvard students and award presentations to some of its accomplished black male students.

Tickets for this event ($20 for Harvard undergraduates and affiliates; $50 for guests of the University) are available through the Harvard Box Office. Call (617) 496-2222 for tickets.