Delois Blakely

”The Choice That I Made” - song written by Kate Marlais
-- read lyrics

honored in partnership with United Nations Decade of Women and University of Wolverhampton

Queen Mother Dr. Delois Blakely champions the aspirations of women, youth, education, economic-social development and community relations.

Blakely graduated from the Franciscan Handmaids of Mary College in 1965 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Religious Studies. She has received numerous honors as a Community Fellow {1981-82} at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology {MIT}, an Education Policy Fellow {1982-83} of the International Education Leadership {IEL}, a Fulbright Scholar in Tanzania and Nigeria {1984-85}; Master of Education Degrees from Harvard University {1982}, Teachers College and Columbia University {1983} and a Doctorate of Education Degree from Teachers College {1990}. She has published scholarly and popular books; and articles on self-reliance, education, recreation and culture.

In 1995, Queen Mother Dr. Delois Blakely was appointed “The Community Mayor of Harlem” and sworn in by former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. Her duties as the Community Mayor of Harlem is supporting the needs of youth, family and the community-at-large.

In 2009, Blakely was appointed Goodwill Ambassador to Africa for her extensive travels and relationships with the African Union (and its respective countries within the African region) to the United Nations. She has been given the task to deal with women, children and human rights issues of the African Diaspora and serves to share these findings with the United Nations.

Queen Mother Dr. Delois Blakely was mentored by notables, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, Former President of Tanzania and Dr. Angie Elizabeth Brooks, First Woman President of the General Assembly at the United Nations. She is a life-long student and practitioner of the visual arts, music, dance, modeling, law, business, and social work. Queen Mother Dr. Delois Blakely serves the World as a Humanitarian Trailblazer for Human Rights, Women, Children and Eliminating Poverty worldwide.