Dickens Honored by Borough President

Harlem, was one of four black community leaders honored at an event hosted on Tuesday by the office of borough president Scott Stringer to commemorate Black History Month.

Dubbing Dickens a "trailblazer" and a "tireless advocate" before bestowing the award, Stringer received equal praise from the council member, who said that she was proud of the emphasis he places on representing uptown, as well as downtown.

Dickens said she was hesitant to accept the Trailblazer Award at first, but she then realized, "I'm the only black woman in a position of leadership in the city council." She added, "With that comes a lot of responsibility."

Stringer also recognized the two founders of the activist group Abolish the "N" Word and Ernest Tollerson, a graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism and current director of communications and policy for the Metropolitan Transit Authority.

The Alhambra Ballroom in Harlem was packed with a kind of 'who's who' of Harlem and West Side politicians. State Sen. Bill Perkins, D-Harlem and Morningside Heights, and Council Members Robert Jackson, D-Washington Heights, and Melissa Mark Viverito, D-Upper West Side, mingled over hors d'oeuvres with the area's Democratic district leaders and the founders of Harlem-based non-profit organizations.