Dorchester native Lawrence O’Donnell, host of MSNBC’s The Last Word, and Tennessee State Representative Justin J. Pearson of the “Tennessee Three” will engage in a keynote conversation during ABCD’s Community Heroes celebration on Friday, Nov. 3 at the Boston Marriott Copley Place, where four Dorchester residents will be among 18 people who have been nominated from across the region by ABCD neighborhood centers and programs.

Ronald M. Drucker, president of The Druker Company Ltd., is chair of the dinner committee, and NBC10’s Glenn Jones will emcee the event.
“Since our inception during the tumultuous 1960s, ABCD has blazed a trail in every aspect of anti-poverty and social justice work in Greater Boston,” said ABCD President and CEO Sharon Scott-Chandler. “Society is once again at a tipping point.

“This crucial conversation between leaders and advocates who use their platforms to forward the dialogue about social issues is vital, and it will bolster our 2023 Community Heroes who are on the frontlines making a difference in communities throughout Greater Boston and the Mystic Valley.”

The Dorchester honorees include:

•Joanna Ruhl, of Fields Corner, a research assistant at the University of Massachusetts Boston and a professional balloon artist using the name Punky Balloonster. Her work on behalf of ABCD communities involves leading the Dorchester Community Fridge, a mutual aid project aimed at combating both food waste and food insecurity.

•Diane Crump, of Harbor Point, volunteers with Sister Joyce McMullen, SND de Namur, director of Project Care and Concern, in stocking and delivering delicious and nutritious food to her neighbors. The Dorchester organization is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

•Dr. Jehu Leconte is founder and CEO of EDEN, a nonprofit focused on breaking the cycle of homelessness and multigenerational poverty that works mostly with single mothers whose families are unhoused. He and EDEN are actively involved in ABCD food security initiatives, and he plans to volunteer during the upcoming tax season as a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) provider.

•After graduation from Knoxville College, Alma Wright moved to Boston, teaching at the Dudley School for five years and at then-new William Monroe Trotter Elementary School for 51 more years. An ABCD Head Start teacher for three summers, she volunteers with Strong Women, Strong Girls, whose mission centers on developing the next generation of women leaders, and at the Trotter’s Outdoor Classroom.

O’Donnell is an Emmy Award-winning executive producer and writer for “The West Wing,” and earlier in his career he served as senior advisor to Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-NY).

Pearson rose to prominence in April 2023 after being expelled from the Tennessee legislature following a peaceful protest for gun safety in response to a mass school shooting. He also has roots in Boston, having served as special assistant to the CEO at Year Up, a national workforce development nonprofit that focuses on social, racial and economic justice.

For more information about the event, see bostonabcd.org.