Phylicia Rashad to Receive SSH Fine Arts Center Legacy Award

Global Concepts Charter School honors include Phylicia Rashad winner of the Ruben Santiago-Hudson Fine Arts Center Legacy Award.

Friday May 8th at 6pm Global Concepts Charter School welcomes Phylicia Rashad as the first recipient of the Legacy Award from Lackawanna native Ruben Santiago-Hudson and the Arts Center that bear his name, located in Lackawanna, NY. Ms. Rashad is well deserving of the Legacy Award, as she is an accomplished student, actor, teacher, director and mom. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Howard University and went on later to teach drama at the school. Ms. Rashad is best known for portraying "Claire Huxtable" on The Cosby Show. According to TV Guide, the show "was TV's biggest hit in the 1980s, and almost single-handedly revived the sitcom genre and NBC's ratings fortunes.

Phylicia Rashad will be visiting Global Concepts Charter High School 30 Johnson Street, Lackawanna, NY 14218 beginning at 12:30pm. The High School dedicated their State of the Art Fine Arts Center to presenter and Lackawanna native Ruben Santiago-Hudson in June of 2014. Santiago-Hudson is an award-winning actor and playwright. Ruben Santiago-Hudson was last in Western New York in June for the commencement speech to the Global Concepts Charter School class of 2014. Mr. Santiago-Hudson has worked as both a stage actor on Broadway and in numerous films including 2015 Golden Globe winner for Best Picture Selma, American Gangster, The Devil's Advocate, Mr. Brooks, Domestic Disturbance, and Shaft, as well as TV dramas such as Castle, Law and Order, and West Wing. He has received numerous awards for his work as an actor, writer, and director, including those for his award winning play and HBO film Lackawanna Blues, a Tony award for Seven Guitars, and an Obie award for his direction of the Off-Broadway production of The Piano Lesson.

The sold out Gala Celebration takes place May 8th at the public studios of WNED-TV. Global Concepts will also honor Anthony C. Conte, President of Shea's Performing Arts Center, Brenda McDuffie President and C.E.O. of the Buffalo Urban League, Joan and Peter Andrews, and, Tonnalee M. Batchelor community organizer and founding member of Buffalo Quarters Historical Society.

Global Concepts Charter School opened in 2002 and has 848 students and 79 faculty members making it the second largest charter school in Western New York. This diversely represented Charter School has the highest New York State passing rates of any local charter school. They have a passing rate of 94% U.S. History regents, 86% ELA regents, 81% Biology Regents, and 96% Algebra regents. Principal Tracy McGee and chairman of the board Dawan Jones have worked tirelessly to upgrade the school's dedication to fine arts. Principal McGhee said, "As most schools around the country have slashed the budgets of the arts, Global Concepts Charter School has a facility that features a 'black box' theater, state of the art video and lighting equipment, as well as a music studio. The center was also built to be an incubator for artists like Ms. Rashad and Mr. Santiago-Hudson to teach, perform and witness music, theater and gallery shows."

Phylicia Rashad will appear at Global Concepts Charter High School and the Ruben Santiago Hudson Performing Arts Center after speaking to the students at 12:30 pm Friday May 8, 2015 at the High School.

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