From left, acting Essex County Prosecutor and East Orange Hall of Fame Selection Committee Chairman Ted Stephens, East Orange Mayor Ted Green, Superintendent of East Orange Public Schools Kevin West and Campus High School track team head coach Lance Wigfall listen on Wednesday, Oct. 10, during the press conference for the second East Orange Hall of Fame induction ceremony celebration in Cicely Tyson School of the Performing and Fine Arts on Saturday, Nov. 24, while publicist Darryl Jeffries speaks.
EAST ORANGE, NJ — At a press conference in the Cicely Tyson School of the Performing and Fine Arts on Wednesday, Oct. 10, acting Essex County Prosecutor Ted Stephens and the other members of the East Orange Hall of Fame Selection Committee, along with Mayor Ted Green, East Orange Superintendent of Schools Kevin West and Campus High School track coach Lance Wigfall, announced 38 people will be inducted into the East Orange Hall of Fame’s second class at the induction ceremony scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 24 at the school.
According to Stephens, the honorees will be divided into five categories: sports, enterprise, performing arts, arts and letters, and civic and community service. The members of the Class of 2018 will include: Charles Hinton, Troy Webster, Chris Fletcher, Michael Booker, Larry Shumacher Sr., Raquel Vassell, Thomas Dean, Lance Wigfall and Robert Lester in the sports category; Donna Alexander, Virginia Fletcher, Reginald Baker, Nobel Prize-winner Richard Thaler, Dr. Melvin Fielder, J.W. Pierson and Lou LaSalle in the enterprise category; Janis Ian, singer Gwen Guthrie, Adegoke Steve Colson, Ann Harding, Steve Washington, David “Pie” Conley and actress Naturi Naughton in the performing arts category; Frederick Shack, Dr. Obery M. Hendricks Jr., Dr. Sheila Walker, Rudolph Brown and Margaret Clapp in the arts and letters category; and Ronald Manzella, John L. Costley Sr., Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver, Edward T. Bowser Sr., Henry Hamilton, Garfield J. Jackson Sr., former Councilman William Holt, tennis star Althea Gibson, Doris Britton and Leroy Jones Sr.
“I am pleased, as chairman, to stand before you today, as a proud native of the great city of East Orange, on this historic occasion, to share with you the culmination of a lengthy process to select the 2018 class of inductees to be honored at the second East Orange Hall of Fame ceremonies,” said Stephens on Wednesday, Oct. 10. “This is a milestone occasion today that is deeply embedded in our cultural heritage in the great city of East Orange. Proceeds from this event will benefit youth development and cultural enrichment programs in our city.”
The mayor agreed with Stephens. Last year, as mayor-elect, he was one a presenter at the first induction ceremony and had the job of introducing the rap group Naughty By Nature.
In addition to Naughty By Nature, the inaugural Hall of Fame class included: actor John Amos, singers Whitney Houston and Dionne Warwick, rapper Dana “Queen Latifah” Owens, Dr. Zain Abdullah, Kathy Baker, Linda Baker, Toya Beasley, Paulette Bigelow, Clyde Bradshaw, Mike Brown, Brigadier Gen. Richard Cardillo, Judge Robert Carter, Michael Dabney, Robert Davenport, Gale Fitzgerald, former Mayor William S. Hart, Fred Hill, John Hooper, Gary Garland Houston, David Humphrey, Greg James, Baruti Kafele, Dr. James Oliver, Scott Patterson, Jerome Pierce, Col. Clyde Richards, Glenn F. Scotland, Fidelia Sturdivant, Norman Tate, Al Volpe, Janice Walker, Darryl White and the Rev. Russell White.
“To think that the second annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony is coming up, to me it’s a milestone; but not only is it a milestone for the city of East Orange, it’s a milestone for our young people, because here we are at the Cicely Tyson High School for the Performing and Fine Arts,” said Green on Wednesday, Oct. 10. “When I was on the City Council (with) the previous mayor, Robert L. Bowser, I said to myself, this school was for the performing arts and here we are with the Hall of Fame. Hopefully, one day, some of these same young people that are coming through this high school today will one day be in the Hall of Fame.”
“It is indeed an honor and a pleasure to be here today and to bring you greetings, not only on my own behalf, but also on behalf of the East Orange Board of Education and the president, Terry Swan Tucker, as well as the principal of this school, Mrs. Champagne, and her staff for accommodating this wonderful occasion,” said West on Wednesday, Oct. 10. “I want to thank the mayor and the committee for the outstanding job they did last year with the Hall of Fame program and I know that this year is going to be more awesome. So once again, I want to commend you all for continuing this outstanding initiative, because of the fact that last year was so amazing and this year is going to be bigger and better.”
“I also want to take this opportunity to congratulate all of the honorees,” West continued. “I looked at the list and it’s just an amazing list and one of my very, very dear friends and one of our current coaches of the track team, who wins national and state and county and conference championships all of the time. He’s being one of our honorees so, once again, congratulations and best wishes to Ted Stephens, who’s doing a phenomenal job as chairman of the Selection Committee, and everybody that took part in this. We’re glad that the East Orange public schools can partner with you on this initiative and we’ll be here supporting you 100 percent.”
Wigfall thanked Stephens and the rest of the East Orange Hall of Fame Selection Committee.
“I just want to say, first and foremost, if it wasn’t for God, none of this would have been possible,” said Wigfall on Wednesday, Oct. 10. “I remember, every day, my mother saying ‘just keep faith in God, stay happy, stay humble and keep a smile on your face.’ … That’s why I’m here today. I kept the faith. As well as the other 37 candidates, we just stayed humble and I would like to speak on behalf of them that we are gratefully appreciative and honored that we will continue to keep the job going and do the best that we can.”
Stephens encouraged the community to attend the induction event.
“I’m calling upon all of the loyal and faithful East Orange natives who hold near and dear the community of our origin,” Stephens said. “I encourage everyone to be in attendance on Thanksgiving weekend for this hallmark occasion. It promises once again to be one of the greatest events ever to be held in our city’s history. It’s an event not to be missed.”
Tickets for the East Orange Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 24, may be purchased at eohof2018.eventbrite.com. For more information, email submit@eohof.org or call Darryl L. Jeffries at 973-449-4836.
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