The Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus awarded Clementina Chéry its Abigail Adams Award Wednesday.
Chéry founded the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute in 1994 after the murder of her 15-year-old son Louis. Chéry is an internationally recognized expert in the field of homicide response. She is an ordained Chaplain and a Lady of the Order of St. Gregory the Great, the highest honor bestowed by Pope John Paul II on a lay Catholic. In addition to the innovative programs and services Chéry developed at the Peace Institute, she has published tools for survivors of homicide victims including the “Survivors Burial and Resource Guide” and “Always in My Heart: A Workbook for Grieving Children.” Chéry was chosen as a 2017 Barr Fellow for her effective, visionary, and collaborative leadership and capacity to motivate others, drive change, and produce results. She was also selected as a 2016 Social Innovator by the Social Innovation Forum in recognition of the Peace Institute’s groundbreaking solutions to social problems. Chéry holds honorary Doctorate Degrees from College of the Holy Cross, Regis College, and Mount Ida College. Chéry has served families of murder victims for over two decades and has trained thousands of public health professionals, law enforcement officials, and religious leaders in the best practices for supporting survivors and interrupting cycles of retaliatory violence.
The Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus introduced the Tribute to Abigail Adams in 1988 to recognize outstanding women leaders in Massachusetts who have worked to achieve parity for women. Born in Weymouth, MA in 1744, Abigail Adams was one of the earliest women’s advocates with strong beliefs in equal rights for women and was the wife of our nation’s second president, John Adams, and the mother of six children.
The Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus is a nonpartisan organization committed to increasing the number of women elected to public office and appointed to public policy positions.
