New College’s Sonia Wu, Trustee John Saputo Receive NAACP Awards

New College of Florida Director of Multicultural and Transfer Recruitment Sonia Wu and New College Trustee John Saputo were awarded Freedom Awards by the Sarasota County NAACP during the organization’s Twenty-third Annual Freedom Awards banquet held on October 2 at the Hyatt Sarasota.  Wu, who is also a New College alumna, was honored for her outstanding achievements in the area of Community Service, while Saputo was recognized for his lifelong efforts to promote equality and social justice in the workplace.

Among Wu’s many accomplishments highlighted during the evening was her work with the Sarasota YMCA Black and Hispanic Achievers program and with MelEcho/Echo Luv Productions’ Discovery of You Teen Forums and the 2008 Greatness Beyond Measure Teen Summit.  Wu also has been instrumental in encouraging local science teachers to recommend students for New College’s PUSH/SUCCESS summer science program for underrepresented youth and has worked with the Sarasota NAACP to create literature on preparing for education after high school.  She supported the North Sarasota Relay for Life at Booker High School as captain of the NAACP/New College team, and as team sponsor of the Golden Girls senior ladies’ team from the Newtown recreation centers.

Wu graduated second in her class from Boyd Anderson High School in Fort Lauderdale, where she was active in the music program, captain of the King Cobra Marching Band and winner of the Sun-Sentinel prize for creative writing.  She went on to receive her bachelor’s degree from New College in 1985.
New College Trustee John Saputo, who is the owner and president of Gold Coast Eagle Distributing of Sarasota, was recognized for his lifelong commitment to equality, social justice and ending discrimination in the workplace.

Saputo led the first successful program to integrate an all white Teamster’s beer drivers’ union in Detroit in 1977.  Through a community action project he coordinated, African Americans received training in the beer delivery profession and were accepted into the formerly segregated union.  In 1984, as chairman of the Vietnam War monument committee, he raised $400,000 to erect a life size monument called “After the Fight,” which depicted three American servicemen in an emotional and heroic scene.  Saputo and the committee demanded that one of the bronze figures depict an African American soldier, a move that resulted in death threats being leveled against the committee members by reactionary hate groups.  Despite the violent threats, Saputo and the other committee members stood firm to their principles and the statue was designed as they recommended.  In 1986, many soft drink and beer distributorships followed Saputo’s lead after he promoted the first African American in the beverage industry in Eastern North Carolina to a senior management position.

Since arriving in Sarasota, Saputo has helped support the Juneteenth program, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. celebrations and numerous other events celebrating and promoting social justice, equality and African American history within the local community.  In total, under his leadership, Gold Coast Eagle Distributing of Sarasota has contributed to more than 350 charities in Sarasota and Manatee counties.

“It is an honor to have New College’s name associated with two such wonderful individuals,” said President Mike Michalson, who attended the awards ceremony.

“On behalf of everyone at the College, I applaud Sonia and John’s efforts to advance the issues of education, social justice and equality within our local community.”

For more information contact Aimee Chouinard, media relations coordinator, at (941) 487-4152 or [email protected].