Dennis Anthony Dillon

Dennis Anthony Dillon (born June 20, 1959) is an American minister, journalist, publisher, and community activist. He is the founder and president of The New York Christian Times and lead pastor at Brooklyn's Rise Church New York. He is the co-convener for The DOOR of Our Return. Dillon is known to be one of the founders of Churches United to Save and Heal (CUSH) and the convener of The Black Church Means Business Conference.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]

Biography and career

Dillon was born in Kingston, Jamaica. As a high school student in 1976 he was a founding member gospel group, The Melodious Brother Quartet, with Joseph Redley, Roy Turner, and Collin Harris, whom he met during his first year of high school.[11] After Leroy Gibbon joined the group as a singer, they renamed it as The Gospel Proclaimers.[12][13][14][15] Dillon was one of the collaborators and mentors of his childhood friend Fitzroy Gordon, who in 2011 established the first Black-owned radio station in Canada, G98.7 CKFG. After the death of Nelson Mandela in December 2013, Dillon co-hosted an all-day tribute to Mandela with Gordon in Canada. After completing his studies, Dillon pursued his career in journalism and news reporting at news outlets including The Torch Bearer and The Bergen Sun. Later he co-founded Gospel Today magazine and Prayer Global magazine.[16]

Dillon competed in the Brooklyn Borough President election as an independent candidate in 1997 and secured about 12,000 votes.[17]

He is also known for hosting The Dennis Dillon Show, which featured interviews of several celebrities and noted personalities.[18][19][20] He was also known to be closely associated with the Y.E.S. (Youth Empowered to Succeed) initiative. In 1990 Dillon founded news tabloid New York Christian Times with Karen Grainger.[21][22][23][24][25] In 1994, Dillon founded The Black Church Means Business Conference, an annual conference supported by a coalition of churches, community leaders, businesses and corporations.[26][27][28] Dennis is also known for his social activism related to the economic empowerment of the Black community and has been regarded as 'economic empowerment activist'. His advocacy and negotiation with financial institutions like Citi Bank, HSBC etc. was instrumental in granting acceptable loans to the Black community of New York City.[29][30][31][32][33]

During 1997, the regional manager at the fashion brand Polo Ralph Lauren removed two Black and Hispanic workers from their sales duties, igniting controversy. This incident highlighted the racial tension at the workplace of Ralph Lauren and some of those allegedly mistreated employees asked Dillon for help in 1998. Consequently, Dillon successfully mediated between the employer and workers.[21]

In 2013, Dillon received HCCI's Distinguished Service Award.[34][35][36] In 2015, he was honored for his contribution in journalism at McDonald's Media Legends and Trailblazers Ceremony.[37][38][39][40]

In 2020, a coalition of organizations, including HARLEM WEEK, NAACP, National Action Network, NY Urban League, and One Hundred Black Men NY, named Dillon, along with Andrew Cuomo and Al Sharpton, among '10 Outstanding New Yorkers' for rendering historic leadership during the crises of the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrations against systematic racism, challenges to the important 2020 Census, and divisiveness triggered by the November national elections.[41]

Notable publications
  • Bitter Truth is Better Than Sweet Falsehood,[42] Brooklyn Lantern Corporation, 1998 ISBN 9780966873009
  • Affirm Your Purpose, 2006, ISBN 9780966873061
  • Kingdom Affirmations: Positive Power Prayers to Help Transform Your Life, 2008
  • Economic State of Black New York 2017,[43] 2017, ISBN 9780966873054

Additional sources
  • Wake Up and Smell the Dollars! Whose Inner-city is this Anyway by Dorothy Pitman Hughes, ISBN 9780965506472

References
  1. Yee, Vivian (February 28, 2014). "After Arrest, Pastor Linked to de Blasio Is Under Scrutiny for Tangled Finances (Published 2014)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  2. "Rev. Dennis Dillon, Author at New York Christian Times". New York Christian Times. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  3. McCallister, Jared (February 26, 2017). "CARIBBEAT: Brooklyn Christian Center welcomes leaders, pols to attend free business networking event". nydailynews.com. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  4. Parry, Bill. "Southeast Queens event commemorates 400 years since the beginning of African enslavement in America". QNS.com. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  5. "Rev. Dennis Dillon --A Ministry of Global African Economic Empowerment | Black Star News". www.blackstarnews.com. September 3, 2018. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  6. SERANT, CLAIRE (July 20, 2008). "City's churches offer financial advice on foreclosure and repairing credit". nydailynews.com. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  7. "Dennis Dillon, an ideal role model in changing Jamaica – Anthea McGibbon". June 29, 2010. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  8. IBW21 (January 21, 2019). "King's Vision in Action – Martin Luther King Day Edition of Vantage Point". Institute of the Black World 21st Century. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  9. "Rev. Dennis Dillon's Ministry of Global African Economic Empowerment". Africanist Press. September 6, 2018. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  10. "African Diaspora Rising: The Year of the Door of Return to Africa". The Charleston Chronicle. Archived from the original on January 30, 2019. Retrieved October 22, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  11. "Town Hall Meeting Notification" (PDF). KHS High School.
  12. "The Gospel Proclaimers, Fayetteville, GA (2020)". www.findglocal.com. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  13. "The Gospel Proclaimers, Fayetteville, GA (2020)". www.localprayers.com. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  14. "The Gospel Proclaimers | Music for the Soul". January 18, 2016. Archived from the original on January 18, 2016. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  15. "HISTORY | The Gospel Proclaimers". February 22, 2015. Archived from the original on February 22, 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  16. "Highlights from NYC October 24, 2016 Global Leaders Prayer Gathering". myemail.constantcontact.com. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  17. "THE 1997 ELECTIONS: RESULTS; The Races for . . . (Published 1997)". The New York Times. November 5, 1997. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  18. "Anthony Vaval ('16) Grad Featured on Dennis Dillon Show".
  19. "WGO by Victoria Horsford". September 15, 2016. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  20. "Live Taping Dennis Dillon Show Friday, July 29th 2016 @ 7:30pm – Anthea McGibbon". July 21, 2016. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  21. Street Journal, Teri AginsStaff Reporter of The Wall (August 19, 2002). "Color Line: Polo Ralph Lauren Wrestles With the Issue of Race". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  22. "HARLEM COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS | August 18, 2016". Issuu. August 23, 2016. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  23. "About Us". New York Christian Times. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  24. "Brooklyn Religion Briefs for June 19". Brooklyn Eagle. June 19, 2013. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  25. "Harlem week 2016 final pdf (1)". Issuu. December 13, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  26. "Black Church Means Business | Black Star News". www.blackstarnews.com. October 8, 2007. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  27. "Black Church Means Business 2006 Official Launch October 16, 2006 New York – Jamaican born, Rev. Dennis Dillon, Executive chair of the Conference". Jamaicans.com News and Events. October 13, 2006. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  28. "TAKEOUT SMALL BUSINESS;THE GOSPEL OF BUSINESS NEW YORK CITY'S BLACK CLERGY PREACHES MESSAGE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP TO CONGREGATIONS LOOKING TO REVIVE NEIGHBORHOODS ;MOSQUE HELPS VENDOR MOVE OFF STREETS;BUSINESSWOMAN TIPS HAT TO CHURCH LEADER'S AID". Crain's New York Business. December 10, 1995. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  29. "Transcript of Public Meeting held on June 25, 1998". www.federalreserve.gov. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  30. Bronstein, Barbara F.; Epstein, Jonathan D. (February 1996). "Purported plan to pull funds from Chase, Chemical causes". American Banker. 161 (40): 11.
  31. page 356. "City Bank and Others Discriminate against Black" (PDF). Federal Reserve.
  32. TimesLedger, Q. N. S. "Clergy responds to foreclosure crisis – Ministers join with business leaders to help Brooklyn homeowners". QNS.com. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  33. "Our Door of Return' African Diaspora Economic Forum | African Union". au.int. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  34. "13th ANNUAL "LET US BREAK BREAD TOGETHER" AWARDS GALA". hcci. May 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  35. "HCCI "Let Us Break Bread Together" Awards Dinner". Harlem World Magazine. May 7, 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  36. "May 2015 Issue". Issuu. May 15, 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  37. "McDonald's honors media legends for Black History Month". amsterdamnews.com. February 26, 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  38. "Thirteen Black Media Legends and Trailblazers honored at McDonald's Black History Month kick-off event". African Immigrants, African American New Yorkers in Harlem and Beyond. February 3, 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  39. "February 2015". Issuu. February 17, 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  40. "Kicking off Black History Month". CNBNews. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  41. "Thank You For Your Historic LEADERSHIP" (PDF). The New York Beacon - Vol. 27 No. 24 June 18–24, 2020, Page 8.
  42. Dillon, Dennis A. (December 1998). Bitter Truth is Better Than Sweet Falsehood. Brooklyn Lantern Corporation. ISBN 978-0-9668730-0-9.
  43. Dillon, Rev Dennis (February 27, 2017). Economic State of Black New York 2017. Christian Times Publications. ISBN 978-0-9668730-5-4.
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