Will Guzmán to Receive National Action Network’s ‘Iron Sharpening Iron’ Award

Will Guzmán, an NJCU associate professor and director of NJCU’s Lee Hagan Africana Studies Center, will be honored by the North Jersey chapter of the National Action Network (NAN) as a recipient of the 2018 "Iron Sharpening Iron" Award at their annual luncheon on Saturday, June 16, 12:00 p.m., at The Casino-In-The-Park, 1 Lincoln Park in Jersey City.

To purchase tickets to the 2018 "Iron Sharpening Iron" luncheon call NAN’s North Jersey chapter at 201-433-6932 or email ccarolynoliver318@comcast.net.

In announcing Dr. Guzman’s selection for the award, Dr. Carolyn Oliver-Fair, NAN's local president, stated, "You were nominated...because of your commitment to your family and community. There are so few Black men who take the time to nurture, teach and become a positive influence in the lives of others. You are among those who instill self-confidence in our young people. A lot of young Black men are floundering due to the absence of an approachable, positive role model. You are a shining example of what we, as a people, should do: 'Each one, teach one.'"

The National Action Network is a civil rights organization founded in 1991 and headquartered in Harlem. It currently has over 105 chapters in cities throughout the nation.

Dr. Guzmán was recently inducted into the “Wall of Fame” of the Mary McLeod Bethune Life Center on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive in Jersey City for his community service in the areas of youth, fair housing, and racial justice.

He is also the recipient of the "Yvonne Ochillo Golden Pen" Award for the best 2017 journal article in THE GRIOT: The Journal of African American Studies. His article is entitled "The Making of a Political Activist: The Wiley and Meharry College Education of L.A. Nixon.”