On October 18th, we celebrated our 38th Annual Kandler Awards Celebration, honoring Beatrice “Bebe” Coker, Leading Civil rights and Education Advocate, and John Whitelaw, Esq., Advocacy Director, Community Legal Aid Society, Inc., for their incredible impact on civil rights in Delaware.
Gatherings were held in both Wilmington and Rehoboth Beach, with over 150 guests attending in person, and live streamed for guests choosing to celebrate from home. Hosted by Executive Director Mike Brickner, the event celebrated our two honorees with a special musical guest, the Choir School of Delaware, who performed two pieces that had the audience singing along. Our awardees were honored with proclamations from Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester, Senator Chris Coons, County Executive Matt Meyer, Governor John Carney, and President Joe Biden.
Our robust online silent auction included incredible items such as wine and spirits, locally handmade decor, arts performance tickets, and more. Bidding wars went right up until the last minute!
We want to extend a special thank you to our event planning committee, event sponsors, silent auction donors, and all who joined us at this year’s incredible event. Because of your support, we’re thrilled to announce that this was our most successful fundraiser to date — raising a total of over $74,000 in support of the protection of civil liberties!
We've already begun the countdown until next year!
Still have Kandler questions? Contact Melissa Bryson at mbryson@aclu-de.org.
Learn More About the Award Recipients
Beatrice "Bebe" Coker, Leading Civil Rights and Education Advocate
Learn more about Bebe
John Whitelaw, Esq., Advocacy Director, Community Legal Aid Society, Inc.
Learn More About the Choir School of Delaware
The Choir School of Delaware performing "Lift Every Voice and Sing", a hymn that is also known as the Black National Anthem. This hymn was performed live at the 2023 Kandler Awards Celebration.
Visit the Choir School of Delaware's Website
