$500,000 gift funds Queen Liliuokalani Distinguished Professorship in Native Hawaiian Culture

Celebrating the new professorship.

“...He will keep His promise, and will listen to the voices of His Hawaiian children lamenting for their homes. It is for them that I would give the last drop of my blood; it is for them that I would spend, nay, am spending, everything belonging to me.” — Queen Lili‘uokalani

This powerful and moving quote by Queen Lili‘uokalani serves as an inspiration for the Queen Lili`uokalani Trust  to perpetuate her legacy of care and compassion for the orphan and destitute children of Hawai‘i.  With this mission guiding philanthropic investments, the Queen Lili'uokalani Trust has made a $500,000 gift to establish the Queen Lili‘uokalani Distinguished Professorship in Native Hawaiian Culture at the UH Mānoa Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work. This endowed professorship honors the life and legacy of Queen Lili‘uokalani, the last monarch of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i.

The professorship will create an educational program anchored in Native Hawaiian cultural knowledge, practices and values that will strengthen the training of social work and other allied health professionals in working with Native Hawaiian children, families and communities. The professor appointed to the position will have a proven track record of leadership in relation to Native Hawaiian scholarship and a deep civic commitment to improving the circumstances of Native Hawaiians, with attention to children and families.

Said Dean Noreen Mokuau, “This precious gift provides the Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work with the opportunity to emulate the compassion of the Queen in caring for children and families, with preference for kānaka maoli.  We are humbled and deeply grateful for the opportunity to steward her legacy with an endowment that perpetuates Native Hawaiian knowledge, values and practices.  E `onipa`a kākou!”

The Queen Lili`uokalani Trust, founded in 1909, is a private foundation that was born out of the aloha and care that a loving Queen had for the children and families of Hawai‘i.  The mission of the trust is to serve orphan and destitute children with preference given to Native Hawaiian children.  The trust serves approximately 10,000 children annually through direct services and reaches thousands more through collaboration with community partners.

“The endowed professorship will broaden the reach of the Trust by educating generations of future social workers in Native Hawaiian cultural knowledge, practices and values,” said Claire L. Asam, PhD, trustee, Queen Lili`uokalani Trust. “This knowledge will help graduates, wherever they work, effectively serve our beneficiaries, as well as Native Hawaiian children and families throughout Hawaiʻi nei.”

If you would like to learn about donor recognition naming opportunities or ways to support the programs and students at the School of Social Work, please contact Mark Fukeda at mark.fukeda@uhfoundation.org or (808) 956-7988.

You can also make a gift at www.uhfoundation.org/givetosocialwork

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The University of Hawai‘i Foundation, a nonprofit organization, raises private funds to support the University of Hawai‘i System. The mission of the University of Hawai‘i Foundation is to unite donors’ passions with the University of Hawai‘i’s aspirations by raising philanthropic support and managing private investments to benefit UH, the people of Hawai‘i and our future generations. www.uhfoundation.org

For more information, visit: http://www.hawaii.edu/sswork/