That is the quotation for the Dr. Kenniebrew Award, offered to Sunshine Clemons Feb. 13 on the annual Dr. Alonzo Kenniebrew Lecture, sponsored by HSHS St. John’s Hospital, Memorial Well being System and the SIU Basis. Dr. Kenniebrew was the primary African American doctor in the USA to construct and function a surgical hospital, the New House Sanitarium in Jacksonville, Illinois, established in 1909. The quotation was written and delivered by Valeria M. Cueto, Memorial Well being vice chairman, Fairness, Range and Inclusion.
The Dr. Kenniebrew Award is given to people who exemplify distinctive management in advocating for social justice and equality. Those that show a dedication to bettering the lives of marginalized communities. And people who empower others by way of their actions.
To advocate for social justice is tremendously arduous work. It requires sustained motion within the face of deep resistance. A imaginative and prescient for what a simply neighborhood can seem like, and endurance as a result of motion towards that imaginative and prescient will typically come within the type of incremental progress.
To be good at advocating for social justice requires much more. It requires the power to attach, to inform the reality, to collaborate… It requires bravery and energy.
To be wonderful at advocating for social justice requires all of that and the ability to inspire folks to arrange and to work collectively. And the power to create a legacy that may proceed this work till the work is completed.
Sunshine Clemons exemplifies all these qualities after which some. All through Sunshine’s profession, she has exemplified selfless service and dedication. She has been acknowledged with prestigious accolades. Most just lately, she was named an “Introvert to Watch” by Hush Loudly in 2024, a testomony to her impactful presence and dedication to social justice.
As a co-founder of Black Lives Matter Springfield, Sunshine has been on the forefront of advocating for Black neighborhood members. She has facilitated neighborhood boards and discussions which have introduced collectively numerous populations to share their experiences and issues – giving of us who grieve the expertise of injustice an outlet, fostering a way of belonging and dealing to make sure that all stakeholders are included in decision-making.
Throughout our most up-to-date time of disaster and neighborhood mourning, Sunshine has proven outstanding energy and focus as a commissioner on the Sonya Massey Fee. In that demanding position, she has performed a pivotal position in addressing systemic inequities and advocating for marginalized communities. And whereas that, given the main target of her profession and life’s work will not be stunning, I wish to stress that she but once more mentioned “sure” to this work as a result of she is aware of what this neighborhood can seem like, and he or she loves it sufficient to work towards that imaginative and prescient.
Identified locally as a “bridge builder,” “waymaker,” “beacon of sunshine” and “fact teller,” her quiet energy is commonly felt behind the scenes, the place she crafts options and leads initiatives that summon one of the best in these round her. Sunshine Clemons embodies the spirit of the Dr. Kenniebrew Award, and her tireless dedication to fairness, coupled together with her exemplary management and advocacy, makes her a deserving recipient. Please be a part of me in congratulating Sunshine for being the 2025 Kenniebrew Award Recipient and in thanking her for all of the methods during which she evokes optimistic change in our neighborhood and continues to say “sure” to it and to us, even when typically she actually would slightly be kicking again and watching an outdated film.
