The Bethpage Federal Credit Union Will Receive ERASE Racism's Corporate Leadership Award at the June Benefit
Syosset, NY – March 21, 2023 – ERASE Racism President Laura Harding announced today that nationally renowned civil rights attorney Benjamin L. Crump, Esq. will be honored at ERASE Racism's Annual Benefit in June. He will receive the civil rights organization's Abraham Krasnoff Courage and Commitment Award for his singular contributions to advancing social and racial justice.
The Bethpage Federal Credit Union will be honored, on the same occasion, with ERASE Racism's Corporate Leadership Award for fostering social justice and equity on Long Island and beyond. The Annual Benefit will take place in person on Wednesday evening, June 14, at the Garden City Hotel.
Listed by TIME among the most influential people of 2021, Ben Crump is one of the nation's foremost lawyers and advocates for social justice. Founder and principal owner of Ben Crump Law, he has represented families in high-profile civil rights cases, such as those of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and Stephon Clark.
He has also represented the residents of Flint, Michigan, who were affected by the poisoned water of the Flint River, as well as the family of Henrietta Lacks in a landmark reparations case. In addition, he has helped reach historic settlements and verdicts for families that have faced injustices. Among other cases, he helped reach a $641 million settlement for the children of Flint, he reached a $27 million settlement for the family of George Floyd, and a $12 million settlement for the family of Breonna Taylor.
Ben Crump is President of the National Civil Rights Trial Lawyers Association and previously served as President of the National Bar Association. He was the first African-American to chair the Florida State University College of Law Board of Directors and is the founder and director of the Benjamin Crump Social Justice Institute. In 2021, St. Thomas University College of Law, one of the most diverse law schools in the nation, announced the Benjamin L. Crump Center for Social Justice in his honor, which will open doors for minority students pursuing law degrees.
Bethpage Federal Credit Union is the one of the 15 largest credit unions in the nation and has been a leader in providing banking services in minority neighborhoods on Long Island. A not-for-profit institution based on Long Island, it is owned by its members – more than 434,650 overall, with 345,295 living on Long Island—and has total assets of $11.4 billion. When Bethpage Federal Credit Union opened a branch in Roosevelt in 2009, it was the first time that a financial institution had opened a branch in that location in 20 years.
Bethpage Federal Credit Union has also created the Bethpage Cares program. Through it, Bethpage invests heavily in local, high-impact, community programs that serve with an eye towards creating better communities through diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
The Abraham Krasnoff Courage and Commitment Award is named for the late Abraham Krasnoff of Glen Cove, who was Chairman, President and CEO of the Pall Corporation, a global leader in high-tech filtration systems, headquartered in Port Washington, and one of Long Island's largest companies. He was Chair of the Board of the Long Island Community Foundation at the time that ERASE Racism was incubated there – and a key proponent of ERASE Racism.
Co-Chairs of the Planning Committee for ERASE Racism's Annual Benefit are Marge Rogatz, Secretary of ERASE Racism's Board of Directors and a resident of Port Washington, and Wilma Tootle, a leader on racial equity and a resident of Freeport.