Actor Jeffrey Wright and artist Carrie Mae Weems were honored Thursday night at The Brotherhood/SisterSol gala in New York City. The Brotherhood/SisterSol is a Harlem-based non-profit and youth development organization. Their 13th annual Bro/Sis Voices benefit at Gotham Hall raised nearly $1 million and was attended by Michael K. Williams, Rose Byrne, the Honorable Cyrus Vance, Bobby Cannavale, Adam Lazarre-White, New York Times columnist Charles Blow and author Elizabeth Alexander.
Wright and Weems thanked the organization’s founders Khary Lazarre-White and Jason Warwin.
“I thank you profoundly for this honor. More importantly, I thank Khary Lazarre-White, Jason Warwin and everyone associated with Brotherhood/Sister Sol for your example of intelligent, empathetic, hard work at a time when our country desperately needs reminding that American greatness exists in the hearts, minds and spirits of most — though not all — of its people and particularly in the young people like those who have flourished by your efforts,” said Wright.
“I want to congratulate and honor Khary and Jason for founding and building this remarkable institution,” remarked Weems.
The Peace Poets a Bronx artist collective and Bro/Sis alum provided entertainment for the event.
New York natives Khary-Lazarre White and Jason Warwin founded The Brotherhood/SisterSol in 1995 to help children, teens and adults develop skills and confidence to become fully actualized members of society. The organization is on a $15 million capital campaign to expand its reach and in November of 2017 plans to break ground on a new six-story state-of-the-art home, with training facilities, a technology center and an arts/performance space.
Lazarre-White commented on the organization’s creed and methodology:
“The Brotherhood/Sister Sol is an organization that is dedicated to helping young people understand the political realities of our age and to helping them become social change makers. We believe this work is done via education, organizing and the arts—and we are so pleased to have honored two artists whose work and life missions are so intertwined with social commentary, equity and struggling with the important and necessary issues of our time.”
For more information about The Brotherhood/SisterSol visit https://brotherhood-sistersol.org.
