American Nationalities Movement Captive Nations event and Freedom Awards St Elias Church, Cleveland July 18, 2024
The American Nationalities Movement held their annual Captive Nations event on Thursday July 18, 2024. Captive Nations Week was first recognized in 1959 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower at the urging of future Cleveland Mayor Ralph Perk Sr. and Congressmen Charles Vanik and US Senator Frank Lausche. Captive Nations Week has been supported each 3rd week in July by every US president since.
Judge Ralph Perk Jr. is the current (and only the third) president of the American Nationalities Movement. The first president was his father, the late Mayor Ralph Perk. He was followed by Irene Morrow. All three have been inducted into the Cleveland International Hall of Fame for their significant contributions to the region's ethnic diversity and heritage.
The American Nationalities Movement was formed for the purpose of uniting all the nationalities in the United States in the goal to educate, advocate and represent their interests of all the diverse ethnic groups to the public and mostly to the political leaders of the United States. This pursuit of our common interest to achieve an understanding of the complex issues that confront each group individually and collectively and that without our united efforts all of us will be endangered.
A full house was on hand
After a welcoming introduction from ANM president Hon. Ralph J. Perk Jr. and the Pledge of Allegiance, Jim Craciun gave the invocation.
Jim Craciun
After dinner, Judge Perk introduced speaker/actor Terry Smith who, without notes, reenacted the address by Frederick Douglass in his 1888 speech on Women's Suffrage at the International Conference of Women.
Terry Smith with Frederick Douglass painting
Watch the video of the speech.
Then Judge Perk introduced Seven Hills Mayor Antony Biasiotta and presented him with the Freedom Award.
NOTE: The images below with a white arrow in the middle are videos. (The other images are just photos) You can click on the white arrow to watch the video of whatever is described. Make sure your speakers are on and you can make the video full screen once it begins by clicking the icon in the lower right corner.
Mayor Antony Biasiotta and Rocky Perk
Mayor Antony Biasiotta speaking
Mayor Antony Biasiotta with the Freedom Award
Proclamation from Councilman Mike Polensek for Mayor Antony Biasiotta
Pierre Bejjani presents other proclamations
Mayor Antony Biasiotta with Ukrainian community leaders
Next, Judge Perk introduced Pamela Dorazio Dean, Director of the Italian American Museum of Cleveland
Pamela Dorazio Dean and Rocky Perk
Pamela Dorazio Dean speaking
Pamela Dorazio Dean and Councilman Mike Polensek
Pamela Dorazio Dean and Pierre Bejjani
Pamela Dorazio Dean and Italian community leaders
Then, ANM President Judge Rocky Perk called up his predecessor Irene Morrow for a special honor - the first ever ANM Lifetime Achievement Award for her decades of service. Judge Perk called Irene "the heart of the Movement."
Irene Morrow speaking
Irene Morrow and Councilman Mike Polensek
The final blessing was given by Marymount Hospital Chaplain Reverend Dennis Safari Mrosso A.J.
Reverend Dennis Safari Mrosso A.J.
Pamela Dorazio Dean, Judge Perk, Irene Morrow and Mayor Biasiotta
ANM Freedom Award
***
Want to learn about ethnic and cultural events in Cleveland such as this? Sign up for the free eNews and every Tuesday evening you will receive a free e-mail listing the next week's events. It's easy and free.
