Centennial Gala 2025: Congressman Edolphus Towns Jr., Dr. Albert Vann Leadership Award

By David Gil de Rubio | dgilderubio@mec.cuny.edu

When Congressman Edolphus Towns Jr. receives the Dr. Albert Vann Leadership Award at the Medgar Wiley Evers Centennial Celebration being held on Thursday, October 23, it’ll hold special resonance for the North Carolina native. 

Having spent 30 years in Congress, in addition to becoming the first African American Deputy Borough President of Brooklyn, Towns’ path was consistently intertwined with his old friend Vann. With both men having met on the hardwood, the former college basketball players formulated a half-century plus relationship based on mutual respect and a dedication to public service. It’s a point of pride for Towns.

“To be identified with that kind of leader is a big honor,” Towns said. “Al Vann was a political community activist. He felt that preventing problems was very, very important. Some people feel solving problems is important. But Al was the kind of person who was aggressive in terms of making sure the problem did not exist. His commitment to the community in terms of being out there—he wasn’t the kind of person that would make phone calls. 

“He was a person who walked the streets of the community and got information from his constituents. That, to me, is the kind of politician we need today more than ever. Somebody who is going to truly communicate with the constituents. Going there and seeing in terms of what their needs are. He would do that. He was into the churches and schools.” 

Towns added, “He had skills in terms of pulling people together, who in some instances, did not look alike. But, he would get them together and perform good things on behalf of the community. That’s another reason why I’m really honored to receive that award. He was also in the political arena for quite some time. 

Of course, longevity is also a very, very important factor when you’re involved in politics. He chaired a number of committees when he was in Albany and also served in the city council. What that means is he had the city involvement and the state involvement. The point is Al had VIDA-Vanguard Independent Democratic Association, one of the strongest political clubs in the borough. 

That club still has a tremendous amount of strength today. Although he’s no longer around, the point is he trained some folks to be able to take over and do a fine job. All of those reasons are why I am extremely proud to be a recipient of the Dr. Albert Vann Leadership Award.”

Just as Dr. Al Vann and Medgar Evers College are inextricably linked, so it goes with Towns. Not only did he work alongside the founders to get the school off the ground, but the Marine Corps veteran also was on the Medgar Evers College faculty from 1974 to 1975 teaching a sociology course. As one of the last people left standing from those early, heady days, Towns retains rich memories of helping the college get off the ground. 

“I was a part of that group meeting in the beginning—Waldaba Stewart, Al Vann, and of course Major Owens,” Towns said. “All of them are really gone on now. We were in the initial discussions about Medgar Evers College. I remember we would be in the room talking and then were finally able to get the idea out of the room, get it moving and were able to get Medgar Evers College off the ground. I think it’s been a tremendous accomplishment for our community. I look back at the role of the folks involved. Annette Robinson is still around, but I can’t think of anybody else who was involved back in those days.”

When asked about the importance of Medgar Evers College to the Central Brooklyn community, Towns was quick to point out how the school’s physical presence serves as a beacon of hope, from both an educational and socio-economic perspective. 

“Any time you can put an educational facility in an area where people can see it, that encourages people to see that they can attend, get themselves an education and be able to improve themselves and their quality of life,” he said. “With the school being there, people can then interact with folks at the institution, who can also make a difference. Not only from an educational standpoint, but from an economic one. It makes a difference and of course, Medgar Evers College has done that as an institution. It’s inspired us in so many ways. 

Through his travels, Towns has seen the impact a Medgar Evers College education has had with myriad people he’s crossed paths with. One interaction in particular left a major impression on how much the college’s legacy has resonated. 

“I’ll never forget that I was on a flight from Boston going back to New York and there was a young lady on it who was a physician that had graduated from Medgar Evers College,” Towns shared. 

“We had a chance to chat and I was wondering to myself if she would have become a doctor had she not been at Medgar Evers College. I had to think about it as I was flying with her. To have an institution in the middle of the community, where they can walk by and see it and talk to people that are involved with the institution, teaching, and things of that nature—that is a very encouraging experience. I can say to you that many, many students would not have attended college if it not been for Medgar Evers College.”