Interesting Facts about Baroness Oona King, I-House Alumna of the Year

April 26, 2019

Laurie Ferris

Greetings from Berkeley!

We are so pleased to honor Baroness Oona King (IH 1989-90) at this year’s Gala and present her with the 2019 Alumna of the Year award for her advocacy in human rights, her visionary leadership, and the many accomplishments throughout her career.

Baroness Oona King (IH 1989-90) to be honored at I-House Gala on May 9, 2019

Here are a few inspiring achievements and interesting facts about Baroness Oona King:

On her father’s side of the family, she comes from a line of American civil rights activists and entrepreneurs. Her paternal grandfather, civil rights activist Clennon Washington King, Sr., and his wife had a daughter and seven sons, including her uncle C.B. King, a pioneering civil rights attorney in Albany, Georgia;
Even when she was a little girl attending Haverstock Comprehensive Secondary School in London, she told her teachers that she wanted to become the Prime Minister of England but was promptly told to become a librarian instead;
She attended York University, gaining a 1st class BA in Politics. She was also awarded a scholarship to spend a year studying at the University of California at Berkeley. During this time, she lived at International House;
Winning the seat of Bethnal Green and Bow in 1997, King became the second black woman to be elected as a Member of Parliament;
She was named one of “100 Great Black Britons” in 2003;
In 2007, she published her autobiography, The Oona King Diaries: House Music her account of her time as a Member of Parliament;
On January 26, 2011, King was appointed Baroness King of Bow and was then introduced in the House Lords on January 31, 2011;
In 2013, she appeared on ITV’s (a Brittish (TV channel) skating show, Dancing On Ice;
She enjoys cinema, dance music, history, and speaks French and Italian;
Learn more about her at ihouse.berkeley.edu/gala.

For those able to join us on May 9th when Baroness King will be honored, please see Gala details and sneak preview of our dinner menu below.

If you cannot attend our Gala but would like to support I-House, you may choose to make a donation.

International House Celebration & Awards Gala
Thursday, May 9th
6:00 PM Music & Mingling
Dinner & Program Follow

$275 per person
$150 per person for Young Diplomats (35 years of age and under)

Valet parking provided
Formal cocktail & international attire encouraged

RSVP by May 6th.

Guests will enjoy a fabulous meal prepared by I-House Executive Chef, Todd Koenigsberg. Below is a sneak preview of the menu:

Reception

Gougères/Prosciutto/Parmesan/Arugula
Flat Iron Steak/Fingerling Brochette/Horseradish Cream
Spicy Crab Cakes/Red Pepper Rémoulade
Salumi Platter
Artisanal Cheese Platter

Salad

Wild-Caught Salmon/Red Belgian Endive/Cara Cara Orange
Meyer Lemon Crème Fraiche/Crispy Quinoa

Entrées

Pan Seared Cauliflower Steak
Wild Mushrooms/Savoy Spinach/Spring Vegetable Risotto

Smoked Mahi Mahi
Sweet Corn Succotash/Macadamia Nuts
Crispy Coconut Rice/Pineapple Gastrique

Grilled Colorado Lamb
Bloomsdale Spinach/ White Wine Braised Onions
French Potatoes/ Mustard Tahini

Dessert

Opera Cake
Raspberry Chantilly Cream

Residents on the patio during Gala
Resident hosts from around the world welcome guests to Gala

Thank you to those who’ve already registered.
We look forward to seeing you on Thursday, May 9th!

Please help us spread the word by sharing one of the following:

ihouse.berkeley.edu/gala
Press Release (PDF)
Gala Flyer (PDF)
UC Berkeley Calendar Listing
Facebook Event
Linkedin Post
HTML Email

For questions, contact us at (510) 642-4128 or ihalumni@berkeley.edu.

Calling All Alumni!

It is our goal to celebrate the lives and achievements of our alumni and the contributions they have made and continue to make in the world. Please help us to keep you informed of upcoming regional events, update our records to help you reconnect with old friends and locate lost alumni, and to share recent I-House news with you. If you have moved, changed email or mailing addresses, or want to give us an exciting update, please let us know by filling out this brief contact update form.