Community Leaders Recognized During 2009 Black History Month

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 12, 2009

For more information, please contact:
Beverly Calender-Anderson, Program Coordinator, Safe & Civil City Program, City of Bloomington, 349-3560
Danny Lopez, Communications Director, City of Bloomington, 349-CITY, [lopezd@bloomington.in.gov|mailto:lopezd@bloomington.in.gov]




Bloomington, IN - Long-time Bloomington residents and educators Dr. William H. and Janice L. Wiggins were recently honored as Living Legends at the 4th Annual Black History Month Gala, held February 28 at the Bloomington/Monroe County Convention Center. [Eddie Cole, Jr.|image:4707,right]

Dr. Wiggins is professor emeritus of African American and African Diaspora Studies and Folklore and Ethnomusicology at Indiana University-Bloomington. During the 30-plus years of his career at IU, he has served as interim director or chair of the Office of the Dean of Afro-American Affairs, the Department of Afro-American Studies and the FASE Mentoring Program.

Dr. Wiggins is a fellow of the American Folklore Society, a trustee of the Library of Congress' American Folklife Center, a former trustee of the Indiana Historical Committee, a board member and former chair of Indiana's African American Landmarks Committee and a regional liaison for the Ford Foundations Minority Fellowship Program.

Janice L. Wiggins has served as an administrator on the IU-Bloomington campus for more than 25 years. She has[Dr. William H. and Janice L. Wiggins|image:4708,right] held the position of Director of Groups Student Support Services for 13 years, a program that advocates for the admission of more than 250 first-generation, low income and physically challenged students to the university. She has also served on the Midwest Association of Education Opportunity Personnel Programs (MAEOPP) and the MAEOPP Education Foundation Board.

Also honored at the Black History Month Gala was Eddie Rice Cole, Jr., who the City of Bloomington Commission on the Status of Black Males designated the 2009 Black Male Leader of Tomorrow. A native of Boligee, Alabama, Cole is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Education from IU, serves as co-editor of the Journal of the Indiana University Student Personnel Association, mentors Resident Assistants in the Briscoe Residence Center, leads Bethel AME Church's midweek tutoring program for youth and volunteers with both Hoosier Hills Food Bank and the Hilltop Garden Program.

The Black History Month Gala and other Black History Month events were sponsored by the City of Bloomington, Bloomington Hospital Positive Link, the Indiana University Office of the Vice President for Equity, Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, Ivy Tech Community College, Lumina Foundation for Education, Monroe County Branch NAACP, Donald, Nicole & Dexter Griffin, and Dedric Dennist.

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