Family Service to honor Farmer for lifetime of civil, human rights work

PROVIDENCE – Family Service of Rhode Island is honoring board President Malcolm Farmer III on Oct. 20 with its “Brighter Futures” award for his work as an advocate for children, civil rights and LGBTQ rights.
The award is given annually to a person or organization making an outstanding contribution to the well-being of children.
“Mac Farmer helped change Rhode Island and the nation,” said Margaret Holland McDuff, Family Service of Rhode Island’s CEO. “His is a life of building brighter futures for people suffering from hatred and injustice and for children and families in crisis from abuse, homelessness and other issues.”
Farmer was elected to the board of directors in 2001, and became president in 2002. He is an attorney and a partner at the law firm Hinckley Allen & Snyder LLP.
He and his late wife, Susan, created the “Malcolm Farmer III and Susan L. Farmer Fund” at the Rhode Island Foundation promoting equality and deterring discrimination in issues involving race, sexual preference, gender, education and immigration. And his involvement in those issues is longstanding.
In 1965, Farmer left Hinckley Allen and went to Mississippi to represent civil rights workers and organizations as well as local African-American citizens in efforts to obtain and protect their constitutional rights against state and local governments that endorsed racial segregation and discrimination.
In 1967, he came back to Rhode Island and worked as the executive director of the Governor’s Commission on Crime Delinquency and Criminal Administration. Later, as a member of the Providence City Council, he advocated for racial equality and to end discrimination due to sexual orientation.
“As our longtime board president, his compassion and idealism [are] complemented by a commitment to accomplishment,” McDuff said. “He has provided tireless leadership to improve the agency’s services and fundraising capacity.”
Family Service of Rhode Island, a social service and educational nonprofit, is holding the awards ceremony at noon at the R.I. Convention Center. Seats and sponsorship opportunities are available through familyserviceri.org or by contacting Johnnie Chace at (401) 519-2289 or chacejo@familyserviceri.org.

No posts to display