B.R.O.T.H.E.R.S. is sponsoring the 13th annual Tribute to Black Women, which honors women of color that have made a difference on the NIU campus through experiences gained in their struggle for liberation.

“We hope to recognize a lot of women on campus that strive to make a difference that go unnoticed,” said Alex Graves, president of B.R.O.T.H.E.R.S.

The event will begin at 7 p.m. today in the Newman Catholic Center and is free and open to all.

Eight awards will be presented in total, including outstanding leader, campus involvement, student mother, outstanding athlete and greek involvement. Seven awards will be presented to students.

Junior FCNS major Taisha Murrell was awarded mother of the year at last year’s ceremony.

“It was an honor that my fellow peers would consider me to be mother of the year,” Murrell said.

An award for outstanding faculty member will also be presented. Dr. LaVerne Gyant, director of the Center for Black Studies, won last year’s award.

“The members nominate people, and then have penny votes,” Gyant said.

The nominee with the most votes wins the award, Gyant said. All students were able to nominate faculty.

There will be a free dinner served during the ceremony and Matthew Holder, president of the Campus Activities Board, will be the keynote speaker.

Invitations were sent out to all faculty members and the student body at large, Graves said.

“Last year, we had approximately 250 [attend] and this year we’re hoping for about 200 or 250,” Graves said.

Junior time arts major Ray Wimbley, who is also a member of B.R.O.T.H.E.R.S., is very excited about the event.

“A lot of things go unsaid. We don’t celebrate our black women enough, and they deserve it. Events like these not only promote black unity, but also show appreciation for our culture,” Wimbley said.

B.R.O.T.H.E.R.S. was founded in 1982. The group’s name stands for “Brothers Reaching Out To Help Enlighten and help Rejuvenate Self-consciousness.”

The group works to increase college graduation rates among African-American men and sponsors many cultural events within the NIU community.

For information about this event and its sponsoring organization, contact the Center for Black Studies at 753-1709.