Those promoting the connectedness of the African diaspora and revitalization of the continent were celebrated during the Twin Cities International Leadership Institute\u2019s Citizen Awards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The May 9 awards ceremony at the Minneapolis Club in downtown Minneapolis recognized seven honorees for their efforts to serve the world\u2019s largest landmass, and more importantly, its inhabitants. Honored were Coventry Royster Cowens, International Citizen Award, Patrice Johnson (posthumously), International Citizen Award, Fartun Weli, International Immigrant Achievement Award, Dr. Robert Johnson, International Educator Citizen Award, International Social Justice Citizen Award, Christine Stark, International Social Justice Citizen Award, Tsehai Wodejo, International Social Justice Citizen Award and Brendon Adams, International Arts and Culture Citizen Award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Accepting the award on behalf of Patrice Johnson was her mother, renowned human and civil rights icon, Dr. Josie Johnson. Dr. Josie Johnson said her daughter\u2019s actions were guided by caring and compassion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m fortunate because I have children who live out our mission to spread compassion. Patrice did things all parents hope their child will do. She shared her life freely and taught us to live with compassion and caring,\u201d said Dr. Josie Johnson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Patrice Johnson was killed in a plane crash in 1989 while on a humanitarian trip to Ethiopia to aid those suffering from famine. Also killed was Rep. Mickey Leland of Texas and 14 others. The co-pilot\u2019s daughter was also on hand for the May 9 celebration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Royster Cowens said her work in Africa is part of her life\u2019s destiny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAfter my first trip to Tanzania I found out I had colon cancer; a serious situation,\u201d said Royster Cowens. \u201cI was going through treatment and I went to the doctor and said it was on my heart; I was going to go to South Africa. From there on I have traveled to Africa. It is a purpose for me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wodejo, the executive director at Resources for the Enrichment of African Lives, dedicated her award to the young women her organization serves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI had a girl who, because of circumstance, attempted suicide several times; today she is now a mechanical engineer,\u201d said Wodejo. \u201cThis award goes to them (the girls served by Resources).\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr. Robert Johnson, a recently retired professor from St. Cloud State University, was honored for establishing an immersive study abroad program at the university that sends students to South Africa. Dr. Robert Johnson said his goal is to have students realize the commonality of the human experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe whole purpose, the whole mission is about self-discovery,\u201d said Dr. Robert Johnson. \u201cWe\u2019ve had the opportunity to introduce hundreds of students to cultures abroad. This in not academic tourism. We get these students involved at a grassroots level.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Adams, co-founder of New Hope International Exchange, an organization serving and supporting communities in need in Cape Town, South Africa, also said the honor was not just for him, but for others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis award is for my whole community back in Cape Town,\u201d said Adams, who was instrumental in the Minnesota Orchestra\u2019s recent trip to South Africa. \u201cPeople said apartheid is over, but we\u2019re still fighting. The fight has really just begun. Our fight is not against flesh and blood, but the evils of this world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Established in 1994, the International Leadership Institute was formed to increase and strengthen international interchange and understanding between Minnesota and the world, with the goal of empowering communities of color by promoting leadership, justice, peace, and democracy. Retired Hennepin County Judge LaJune Lange presides over the Twin Cities International Leadership Institute. Weli said Lange has been there for her and many others throughout the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll women of color, we\u2019re told you have to have help; and I appreciate Judge LaJune for being there in my many times of need,\u201d said Weli.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Those promoting the connectedness of the African diaspora and revitalization of the continent were celebrated during the Twin Cities International Leadership Institute\u2019s Citizen Awards. The May 9 awards ceremony at the Minneapolis Club in downtown Minneapolis recognized seven honorees for their efforts to serve the world\u2019s largest landmass, and more importantly, its inhabitants. Honored were […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4417,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[2766,2765,32],"class_list":["post-4416","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","tag-international-leadership-institutes-citizen-awards","tag-minneapolis-club","tag-twin-cities","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Insight-News-Website-Images-16-1.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4416","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4416"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4416\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4418,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4416\/revisions\/4418"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4417"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4416"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4416"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4416"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}