He has only been at the helm of Jackson Public School District since August 2008, and already Superintendent Lonnie Edwards has been tapped as Man of the Year for the 18th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Awards Banquet.
Several hundred citizens flocked to Jackson State’s Walter Payton Health & Wellness Center at 6:30 p.m., Monday, Jan. 18, for the festive event.
In celebration of the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s tactics of nonviolence and thrust for human dignity and respect, the awards banquet featured numerous award recipients for their noble acts of courage, service, and leadership. The theme, “Living Dr. King’s Dream in the era of President Obama,” reigned throughout the evening.
“This award to me symbolizes what Dr. King stood for – service,” Edwards later said. “I was honored to be recognized for service rendered and service to be rendered in the future. While I do recognize the number of men who could be selected for this award, I was indeed honored to be chosen.”
During his acceptance speech, Edwards stated how extremely pleased he is to work with Jackson’s children in their educational endeavors. A native of the Mississippi Delta with a lengthy career in education, he previously served as an education program specialist for Federal Programs with the Georgia Department of Education and was an assistant superintendent with the DeKalb County School System, one of the largest public educational systems in Georgia.
Ward 3 City Councilman Kenneth I. Stokes and the MLK Birthday Celebration Committee, with the general support of area businesses and others, were organizers for the annual event.
The committee chose and recognized Alyne Sibley-Payton as the MLK Woman of the Year. Sibley-Payton, the mother of the late NFL great Walter Payton, said she was humbled to share her son’s memory along with the commemoration of Dr. King’s.
In reaction to Sibley-Payton being selected as Woman of the Year, Edwards said he counted it an honored to be recognized along side her.
The long list of MLK award recipients also included several media professionals.
Tamica Smith Jeuitt, recipient of Martin Luther King Jr. Award of Merit, is an anchor and reporter for WJTV News Channel 12 and currently works as the director of Public Affairs for the Central Mississippi Chapter American Red Cross.
Alice Thomas-Tisdale, recipient of A. M. E. Logan Award-Woman of Distinction, covers journalism in and out of the country. She is founder and president of NEIGHBORS (Nation’s Evacuees in Good Hands with Benevolent Out-Reach Services), a program for displaced residents of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Michelle Walker, a veteran broadcaster, received the Fannie Lou Hamer Award-Activist. She is news director and producer of WKXI-FM’s Tom Joyner Morning Show.
Jessica Larche received the Walter Saddler Awardee-Television Media Award. The New Orleans West Bank native and FOX 40 News personality’s award winning pieces include documentaries on the Hurricane Katrina aftermath, Tallahassee students’ protests against the death of Martin Lee Anderson and the murder of FAMU journalism student Nefertiti Williams.
CoCo Chanel received the Bruce Payne Award-Radio Media. Employed with WJMI for seven years, she has been an on-air personality with Mississippi’s highest rated group of radio stations – Urban Radio of MS.
Two ministers of the gospel were among the honrees.
Rev. B. Sullivan Taylor, blessed to preach across America, received the Rev. Dr. S. L. Spann Award-Gospel Minis-ter. He is the pastor of Hill of Zion Baptist Church in Bolton. Rev. Clifton Jackson, a veteran of the Civil Rights Movement, received the Henry Kirksey Award-Trailblazer.
The William E. Miller Award went to medical doctors Ronald D. Davis, Lionel B. Frasier, Jr., and Felix Gordon Jr. (partners of Metropolitan Urology, P. A.). All are accomplished clinicians and educators who are active in numerous local and national professional societies and organizations.
Award recipients in leadership included Dr. Juanita Sims Doty, Charles Evers, and Nsombi Lambright.
Doty is an academician and educator, civil and human rights advocate, entrepreneur and business person. Nationally and locally elevated, she spends much of her time promoting equity for all persons and encouraging others to become involved in service.
Charles Evers, older brother of the civil rights hero and martyr Medgar Evers, has been an important leader in the civil rights struggle in Mississippi. He served (just as Medgar) overseas in the U. S. Army. Station manager for WMPR, Charles continues to work as a civil rights activist and advocate for human rights throughout America. He hosts the weekly talk show, “Let’s Talk,” which features a call-in segment and local and national guests.
As executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of MS, Lambright addresses public education, legislative activity, and litigation in voting rights, race and criminal justice, freedom of speech, religion, reproductive rights development, and program management. Lambright is the president of the board of the New World Foundation.
Reacting to the occasion were a number of persons. Chef Kazzy Ferdinand, recipient of the Milton L. Harper Award – Youth Entrepreneur, articulated best in his message to the youth: “You can’t limit yourselves to one trade, job, or degree. In order to become a young entrepreneur, you must flex your ability to the max. No matter what people say or do, never give up and remember ‘without stress, there is no success.’”
At the end of the ceremony, as a token of appreciation, Council-man Stokes presented the audience with the Martin Luther King Medals.
Editor Gail M. Brown also contributed to this article.
(See Page 4 for banquet highlights.)
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