Palm Beach State College paused Thursday, Jan. 13 to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and to honor five individuals and an organization whose community work exemplifies the spirit of the noted civil rights leader. Among the honorees was longtime Wellington business leader and philanthropist Julie Kime.
The theme of the event was “Resilience and Empowerment: Moving Forward Together.” B.J. “Buddie” Penn, a former assistant secretary and former acting secretary of the U.S. Navy, was the keynote speaker. He took the live and virtual audience on a chronological journey of King’s life from his upbringing in Atlanta and higher education journey to his civil rights work and his assassination. Penn, whose service to the Navy spans more than four decades, recalled that he was flying a combat mission in Vietnam when he received the news that King had been killed. “It was a very sad day. We realized what he had done for the country. He had moved us forward,” said Penn, who also discussed his career and some challenges he faced as an African American in the Navy.
PBSC President Ava L. Parker presented the college’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Awards in six categories, including a new Lifetime Achievement category. It was presented to Don Browne, former president of Telemundo Communications Group, who maintains a national reputation for his recruitment and development of women and minorities.
Honored in the Alumni category was Julie Kime, a PBSC graduate and former Wellington businesswoman, whose community spirit and experiences have been inspiring the Palm Beach County community for more than 30 years. She established the Julie Kime Hispanic Women Scholarship at PBSC, was nominated to the prestigious Jeremiah Milbank Society, an elite group dedicated to serving the local Boys & Girls Clubs, and was a founder of the Palms West Chamber of Commerce, now the Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce.
Also honored was Dawn Rosado in the Student category, who has been serving for five years with the United Way of Palm Beach County’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program; Dr. Jang-Young Bang in the Faculty/Staff category, a PBSC physics professor who has turned his passion for his field into opportunities to do outreach to provide support for students interested in STEM; and Patricia Brown in the Individual category, a community servant who worked at the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office in various capacities for more than 31 years. The Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County was also honored for its work helping local individuals receive the help they need to improve their literacy skills.
Visit www.palmbeachstate.edu/mlk to learn more about the honorees and the celebration.
