Representative Donald M. Payne
“I enjoyed my experience as an intern for the AVOICE Project because it gave me an opportunity at a young age to experience the work place environment. More specifically, I enjoyed the fact that I was given tasks and was able to complete them knowing that the information I worked on would be shared. I feel that AVOICE is a wonderful resource that everyone should be using to educate themselves and others about black history…[F]or younger generations, it is a vehicle to access information through a medium that is familiar to us and interactive with us.” Delonte Egwuatu, Avoice Intern
Delonte Egwuatu joined the CBCF Avoice Project Team as an intern in the fall 2011. He was introduced to the project during an Avoice Student Workshop held during the CBCF’s Annual Legislative Conference in September 2011. He was an important part of the team and assisted with the planning of the Annual Avoice Heritage Celebration, a Black History Month event that lauds the legacy of African Americans in Congress. At the event, Egwuatu was assigned to familiarizing all attendees with the project in detail including African-American legislators and preservation and cultural leaders. During his internship, he also assisted with editing content on the Avoice Virtual Library and performed research for material posted on the Avoice: African Americans in Congress Facebook page.
Since Egwuatu’s internship with the CBCF Avoice Project, he has continued his passion for preserving history. To complete a term paper, he sought and received a personal interview with Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education. In addition, Egwuatu gained another valuable primary source for his paper by meeting with Rev. Al Sharpton. Egwuatu is a 2012 graduating senior at St. Andrews Episcopal High School in Maryland and will attend Morehouse College this fall. Before Egwuatu heads to college, he is seeking admittance to either the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights or with the White House’s Initiative on HBCUs. Avoice is proud of Egwuatu’s continued interest and dedication to the preservation of African-America