Senegal RPCV Linda Robinson to be recognized with Peace Corps' 2005 Franklin H. Williams Award
Peace Corps' 2005 Franklin H. Williams Awards Ceremony Will Honor Community Leaders
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 23, 2005 – Eleven former Peace Corps volunteers from across the nation, now contributing domestically as community leaders, will be recognized for their service with the Franklin H. Williams Award tonight at the Paul D. Coverdell Peace Corps Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Established in 1999, the Franklin H. Williams Award pays tribute to returned Peace Corps volunteers of color who continue the Peace Corps mission through their commitment to community service, and who support the agency’s third goal of promoting a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans. The award assumes the name of former Peace Corps Regional Director for Africa and U.S. Ambassador to Ghana, Franklin H. Williams. Ambassador Williams was instrumental in assisting the first Peace Corps Director, Sargent Shriver, in advancing the agency’s mission across the globe.
This year’s keynote speaker will be Wilbert Bryant, Counselor to the Secretary for the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). In this role, Bryant is responsible for advising the Secretary of Education on ways to strengthen the nation’s HBCUs, and on ways to advance the opportunities for HBCUs to participate in federally supported programs. Bryant also serves as deputy assistant secretary for higher education programs for the Department of Education.
Peace Corps Deputy Director Jody Olsen will present the 11 Franklin H. Williams Awards, in addition to the Director’s Award, which recognizes an individual who has served the Peace Corps’ mission through a commitment to international development and cross-cultural understanding. Finalists for the Franklin H. Williams Award were selected by the 11 Peace Corps regional recruiting offices across the United States. The 2005 winners include:
Linda Robinson
As a Peace Corps volunteer working with a district hospital in Senegal from 1995 to 1997, Linda Robinson noted high levels of albinism in her travels around the country educating people on malaria, AIDS, and cholera prevention, along with family planning, breastfeeding promotion, and nutrition education. Her interest in this condition led to the organization of L’Association Nationale des Albinos du Senegal (L’ANAS). The seminar initiated by this association, entitled “A Day in the Life of an Albino,” resulted in a land donation to L’ANAS by the mayor of Thies, Senegal. With Robinson’s help, a community center to provide literary classes and health services to children with albinism was constructed on the donated land, bearing the name Robinson House Center for Albinos. For her work in Senegal, Robinson has been featured in AARP magazine, Fifty magazine and has been a guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show.
Since returning to Maryland, Robinson has continued her role as a public servant. She formed Friends of L’ANAS, a committee that collects donations, sunscreen, hats, and sunglasses for L’ANAS. Recently, she completed training so she can assist the new Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture. She is also active in her neighborhood organization, the Mt. Holly Community Association, and writes for her church magazine quarterly, Empowering Disciples. Robinson also gives talks in her community about her Peace Corps experience to people of all ages and is currently organizing a tour group to visit Senegal in November 2005.
