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The Board of Directors and staff of the Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center, congratulate Mrs. Rumph on this amazing accomplishment. We are so pleased that the White House recognizes the contribution that Mrs. Rumph has made to the community of South Los Angeles.
Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center founder honored by President Obama with 2010 Citizens Medal
Myrtle Faye Rumph, founder of the Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center, was one of 13 winners of the 2010 Citizens Medal award, the nation’s second-highest civilian honor.
Mrs. Rumph received the award from the President on August 4, along with the other winners from across the country. President Obama selected the honorees for exemplary service for their fellow citizens.
Following the drive-by shooting death of her son in 1989, Ms. Rumph and her husband, Harris, sold their home to finance an after-school program and study center that provides a safe haven and intervention programs for South Central LA youth.
In April 2010, Ms. Rumph received the Spirit of Peace Award from the Stop the Violence Increase the Peace Foundation, a 501(c) nonprofit community prevention and intervention organization. The award honors extraordinary individuals and organizations who have been dedicated to the work of ending the cycle of violence in urban communities, as well as provide support for a regional collaboration of 120 agencies who provide prevention and intervention services to women and children living in poverty.
The Citizens Medal was established in 1969 to recognize American citizens who have performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens. This year, President Obama chose to use the 2010 Citizens Medal to recognize Americans whose work has had a significant impact on their communities but may not have garnered national attention.
Mrs. Rumph in an interview at the White House, August 4, 2010:
