First Women

‘Celebrating Women’ Recognizes First Achievers At Camelot Reception

“Who goes to Walmart on Christmas Eve? What are you doing at Walmart on Christmas Eve?”

Standing in the wings of the stage former NBC News Anchor JC Hayward starts to nod her head as Deborah Harrington, host of the First Annual Women’s Day Reception tells the 200 people attending of one of her first encounters with the t.v. personality.

Harrington’s story had to do with calling Hayward after hours for a request several years ago and she caught the veteran anchorwoman on her way to do some last minute Christmas shopping for a family she’d done story on earlier that week. Using her own time and money, Hayward wanted to make the season brighter for a local family that had come to hard times.

“There she was, trying to do something good for someone else,” said Harrington.

But this was just one of example of the many stories shared at the event held to honor several amazing women.

The Honorable Aisha N. Braveboy, Esq. held the First Annual Women’s Day Reception at Camelot by Martin’s in Upper Marlboro, Md. as part of a women’s month celebration that will come to mean much more than a single day event.

Braveboy, who grew up in Prince George’s County, has been serving as State’s Delegate for the past eight years and is currently running for State’s Attorney for Prince George’s County. She thanked her guests for attending the wonderful event that was a celebration to “honor African-American women who were first in their position and who have unselfishly contributed to their community and beyond.”

County Executive Rushern L. Baker, III was among the members of the audience as each of the awardees stepped up with one amazing biography after the other. The Hon. Donna Edwards, the Hon. Valerie Ervin, Kimberly Ellison-Taylor, Hon. Juanita Miller, Jackie Jeter, Dr. Hazel Harper, Dr. Charlene Dukes, Hon. LaDoris Harris, Hon. Gloria Lawlah were all recognized in this tribute.

An accomplished lawyer with over fifteen years of legal legislative experience, Ms. Braveboy is the Manager of Government Affairs for Children’s National Health System, and continues to practice law part-time with the Law Offices of Gabriel J. Christian and Associates. Always committed to her community and with a passion for public service, Braveboy is the pro-bono legal counsel for the Community Public Awareness Council, a community-based juvenile diversionary program that has successfully diverted over 3500 students out of the criminal justice system. As Chair of the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus, she led the 44-member organization on a wide range of policy issues including equal funding and parity for Historically Black College and Universities; reducing mass incarceration for petty, non-violent offenses; women and minority-owned businesses; and reducing health disparities.