The stars were shining at the Harlem Junior Tennis & Education Program's 50th anniversary gala in New York City.

The event raised nearly $1 million celebrating the success of the nearly 1,000 youngsters who benefit from the HJTEP annually.

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The 50th anniversary gala presented the Harlem Hero Award to Jeanine D. Liburd, Chief Social Impact and Communications Officer for BET; the Shining Star Award to Monica Seles, a nine-time Grand Slam champion and a 2009 inductee into the International Tennis Hall of Fame; and the Robert Holland Jr. Award to Tony Signore, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner for Taylor Global.

“The success of the HJTEP surviving and thriving for 50-years can be directly traced to people like Jeanine, Monica and Tony who have supported our mission and helped us grow,” said Katrina Adams, HJTEP Executive Director. “Due to the pandemic, we have been unable to hold our annual Spring Gala since 2019, so it is especially exciting to see all of our friends and supporters together again and introduce them to many of the youngsters that are benefitting from our programs.”

Emceed by NBC’s Morgan Radford, the star-studded gala at the Ziegfield Ballroom in New York City saw a host of celebrity tennis fans, including Earl ‘The Pearl’ Monroe, an early HJTEP supporter and many more. The Honorary Chair is seven-time Grand Slam champion, Venus Williams.


Monica Seles receives Shining Star Award from David Dinkins, Jr. Photo credit: Harlem Junior Tennis & Education Program

The Harlem Hero Award honors someone who has fought for the growth and success of the Harlem community and recognizes the value of the HJTEP. In her role at BET, the leading provider of quality content for the African American audience and consumers of Black culture globally, Ms. Liburd has spearheaded a portfolio of multiplatform social change initiatives that positively address the critical issues facing the Black community today. Such initiatives include: #ReclaimYourVote, a social change campaign in partnership with National Urban League committed to harnessing Black collective power and increasing Black participation; the Harlem Entrepreneurial Microgrant Initiative, a program created to provide support to small Harlem businesses in partnership with the 125th Street Business Improvement District and the Apollo Theater; and BET’s SOS Saving Ourselves COVID-19 relief efforts, that raised nearly $20M for communities in need.

Before her career in media and entertainment, she worked on urban and family policy at the local and national levels, holding positions at the Department of General Services under the David Dinkins administration, and with the Department of Health and Human Services and The White House under the Clinton administration. She is a graduate of Vassar College and holds an M.S. in Urban Policy from The New School University for Social Research.

The Shining Star Award recognizes an individual who has shone their light on HJTEP, believes in its mission and has never hesitated to support the organization. Ms. Seles is considered one of the greatest female tennis players of all time, earning nine Grand Slam titles, 53 singles crowns and six doubles championships. Her first French Open title was won at the age of 16 and in March 1991, she became the youngest No. 1 player in the world. She remained the world’s No. 1 player for 178 weeks until she was injured in April 1993. Following a two-year break, she reached the U.S. Open final just a month after her return. Remarkably, she then won her ninth Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January 1996. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2009 and the US Open Court of Champions four years later.

The Robert ‘Bob’ Holland Jr. Award is presented to an individual who exemplifies leadership, dignity, and integrity, and steps up to help the youth of Harlem. Tony Signore, who was named CEO and Managing Partner of Taylor Global in 2004, transformed a tactical PR agency into a leading marketing and communications firm representing the world’s most powerful brands. The impact of Signore’s bold vision and unique business model was studied over a 10-year period by Harvard Business School and became the subject of the Harvard Case Study: “Transformation at Taylor.”

Top Photo: Honorees Tony Signore, Janine Liburd, Monica Seles with Katrina Adams. 
Photo credit: Harlem Junior Tennis & Education Program