Awards ceremony to be held November 2 at Holy Names University

OAKLAND, CA – On Saturday, November 2, Oakland City Attorney Barbara J. Parker will receive the 2013 Ella Hill Hutch Award from Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA).

BWOPA is a statewide nonprofit organization founded in 1968 with the goals of educating, training and empowering African American women in the political process and public policy. BWOPA presents the Ella Hill Hutch statewide award each year to “recognize the talents of Black women who have demonstrated extraordinary work in support of justice and equality.”

The award is named after one of the BWOPA’s 12 founding members. In 1977, Ms. Hutch was the first African American woman elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. She was reelected in 1980 and died in 1981. Prior to her election to the Board of Supervisors, Ms. Hutch was a San Francisco neighborhood activist and served on the Bay Area Rapid Transit Board. She is immortalized by the Fillmore District community center that bears her name.

“In the spirit of Ella Hill Hutch, this year our state board is excited to announce that we have chosen Oakland City Attorney Barbara Parker as our 2013 Ella Hill Hutch state honoree to pay tribute to the extraordinary work she has exhibited on the frontline advocating for justice,” said Dezie Woods-Jones, also a founding member and statewide president of BWOPA.

Parker is the first African American woman elected to citywide office in Oakland.  She is a life-long advocate for civil rights, justice and equal opportunity. A Harvard Law School graduate, Parker has practiced law for nearly 40 years, both in the private sector for several major firms and corporations and at every level of government, including a decade as Oakland’s Chief Assistant City Attorney and five years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. She is Board President of the Black Adoption Placement and Research Center, which for 30 years has found permanent homes for children in California’s foster care system.

“It is a great honor to be recognized by BWOPA, a pioneer in educating, supporting, mentoring and developing long range strategies to insure representation of African Americans in the political spectrum,” Parker said. “BWOPA has paved the way for me and so many other African American women and men to participate in the political process and shape public policy. I am grateful for the leadership, vision and support BWOPA has provided for nearly half a century, and I am pleased to accept the responsibility as Oakland’s City Attorney to advocate for justice and equality and mentor the next generation of leaders.”

The Awards Reception will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on November 2 at Holy Names University’s Bay Vista Hall, 3500 Mountain Boulevard in Oakland. For more information, go to: http://ella2013.eventbrite.com/