Black History Event In East Orange Will Honor Dionne Warwick, Ron Rice

EAST ORANGE, NJ — Essex County luminaries Dionne Warwick and Ronald Rice will be honored at an annual Black History Month celebration in East Orange for 2023.

U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez will host the 11th “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants” Black History Month celebration at the Cicely L. Tyson Community School of Performing and Fine Arts at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11.

The event – which celebrates the contributions and legacies of African Americans in New Jersey and the U.S. – is free and open to the public. People who want to attend the event can RSVP online here.

According to Menendez, here’s why Warwick (an East Orange native) and Rice (a recently retired state senator who represented multiple towns in Essex County), are being honored this year:

DIONNE WARWICK - Six-time Grammy Award winning music legend, Dionne Warwick is a cornerstone of American pop music and culture. Warwick’s career, which currently celebrates over 50 years, has established her as an international music icon and concert act. Over that time, she has earned 75 charted hit songs and sold over 100 million records. Warwick received the 2019 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at a special awards concert, “Grammy Salutes the Legends.” She began singing professionally in 1961 after being discovered by a young songwriting team, Burt Bacharach and Hal David. She had her first hit in 1962 with “Don’t Make Me Over.” Less than a decade later, she had released more than 18 consecutive Top 100 singles, including her classic Bacharach/David recordings, “Walk on By,” “Anyone Who Had a Heart,” “Message to Michael,” "Promises Promises,” “A House is Not a Home,” “Alfie,” “Say a Little Prayer,” “This Girl’s in Love With You,” “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again,” “Reach Out For Me,” and the theme from “Valley of the Dolls.” Together, Warwick and her songwriting team of Burt Bacharach & Hal David, accumulated more than 30 hit singles, and close to 20 best-selling albums, during their first decade together.

RONALD RICE - Senator Rice won his seat in a special election Nov. 18, 1986, for the unexpired term of the late John P. Caufield, who died on Aug. 24. Mr. Rice was sworn and took his seat Dec. 4, 1986. He was elected to a full term in 1987, and re-elected nine times. Senator Rice has sponsored legislation in the areas of criminal justice, healthcare, affordable housing, tenant rights, employee rights and education. The senator has been a Democratic County Committee member since 1976. He won the West Ward seat on the Newark City Council in 1982, and was re-elected in 1986, 1990 and 1994. In July 2002, he was appointed deputy mayor of Newark. Senator Rice is a veteran of the Vietnam War, and holder of Presidential and Navy Unit Citations. He was in the Marine Corps from 1966 to 1970, and was honorably discharged with the rank of sergeant. He served in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969.

The Feb. 11 event will include performances by the Cicely L. Tyson School of Performing and Fine Arts choir. Moyo Kehinde, a Nigerian-born singer and alumni of the Cicely L. Tyson School of Performing and Fine Arts, will perform the national anthem.

Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver will deliver remarks at the event, and the Rev. Maria Crompton of Elmwood United Presbyterian Church of East Orange will perform the invocation. The East Orange Public Safety Honor Guard will present the colors for the event, and the Pledge of Allegiance will be led by Bobbi and Haden Wilson of Caldwell. Read More: Caldwell Family 'Turns It Around' After Cops Called On Daughter

ABC7 Eyewitness News reporter Toni Yates, a New Jersey resident, will serve as the emcee.

“A single month during the year is not enough time to truly celebrate, honor, and commemorate the enormous contributions of Black Americans throughout our country’s history,” Menendez said. “From civil rights activists, to engineers, musicians, and leaders – there is a lot to be thankful for, and the best way to demonstrate true appreciation is by continuing to fight tirelessly to end inequality and racism in this country.”

“Our responsibility is to be the shoulders our future generation stand on, just as we stand on the shoulders of giants like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lewis,” the senator added.

East Orange Mayor Ted Green said he and other local officials are proud to join Menendez to “celebrate and recognize the significant impact and central role of African Americans in U.S. history.”

“East Orange is home to an exceptionally diverse group of people from the Black Diaspora who celebrate black excellence every single day,” Green said. “During this Black History Month, as I reflect on how much we have achieved standing upon the shoulders of giants like our own Dionne Warwick and Senator Ronald Rice, I also am reminded of how far we still have to go to fulfill the dreams of our ancestors.”

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