Lewis & Munday Honored at "Closing The Gap" Award Ceremony

LEWIS & MUNDAY HONORED AT
"CLOSING THE GAP" AWARD CEREMONY

Lewis & Munday, PC was one of three recent recipients of the 12th annual "Closing the Gap" Awards given by New Detroit.

"[12 years ago New Detroit felt] in the region we don't recognize or honor examples of good work people are doing. We felt we need to hold up examples," Shirley Stancato, President and CEO of New Detroit, said.

New Detroit gives out its' "Closing the Gap" award to three honorees - an individual, a community based organization, and a corporation. Little took the individual award, ACCESS was awarded as the community based organization and Lewis & Munday, P.C, a Detroit based law firm, was the honored corporation.

The "Closing the Gap" award is given to the three awardees for their willingness and dedication to lead for change to improve race relations in the Southeast Michigan region.

The three awardees were honored at a dinner on June 15 at the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit.

"It was really wonderful. It was a sell out," Stancato said. "In each category, all are champions in race relations and are willing to lead for change. I am proud of the dinner and proud of the honorees and the work they've done and we know that they will continue to do in the future."

Lewis & Munday, P.C. was honored for its pioneering work and national recognition as one of the oldest and largest firms founded by African Americans and becoming the first African American-owned law firm in the U.S. to be listed in the Bond Buyer's Directory of Municipal Bond Dealers.

"It's important for use to highlight the good work so many people are doing. You hear so many negative things and you never hear the positive," Stancato said. "We are known as a very racially segregated area but, in this region more than 120 languages are spoken. We're very racially diverse and through this diversity are people that are willing to lead through race relations. We will continue to honor those and continue to hold 'Closing the Gap' awards."

New Detroit is a coalition of leaders from civil rights & advocacy organizations, human services, health & community organizations, business, labor, foundations, education, media and the clergy. It is a private, non-profit, tax-exempt organization founded in 1967. The Coalition focuses on areas that represent the greatest potential threat to the community's ability to achieve and maintain positive race relations including community capacity building, economic equity, education, race relations, cultural collaboration and youth development.