South Guilford News

Tickets are on sale for the City’s Human Rights Commission’s (HRC) 38th annual breakfast honoring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., at 7:30 am on January 15 at the Koury Convention Center, 3121 W. Gate City Blvd. Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives (FDFI) co-founder and President Kenneth B. Morris is the featured speaker at this year’s breakfast, which is themed, ‘Inspired to Dream.’

Tickets cost $20 per person ($200 per table of 10) and are available online upon registration.

• Click here to register and purchase tickets online. Follow the prompt to pay online after registering.
• Cash or check are accepted for onsite registrations only. Checks are payable to the City of Greensboro. Please note payments will be accepted on site and registrations made with this option will not be confirmed until payment is received. Payment may be made by mail or in person at the Human Rights Department, Melvin Municipal Office Building, PO Box 3136, 300 W. Washington St., Greensboro, NC, 27402.

Please direct registration and ticketing questions to Human Rights Department administrator Tony McCarty at 336-373-2038.

Morris descends from two of the most influential men in American history, Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington. He created FDFI in 2007 to build strong children and end systems of exploitation and oppression. The Rochester, NY-based non-profit is part of the present-day abolitionist movement and supports ventures like human-trafficking prevention education. It has also partnered with a wide range of organizations for the One Million Abolitionists Project, which will print and distribute one million copies of a special bicentennial edition of Douglass’s first autobiography to young people around the world.

This year’s breakfast also features recognition of the second class of Everyday Champions of Human Rights Award Winners. Members of the HRC’s MLK Breakfast Committee will honor Clarence Henderson, Erin “Summer” Hunter, and Dr. Michelle Linster for their substantial contributions to further King’s vision or to champion civil rights, civil liberties, and/or human rights in Greensboro.

Henderson participated in civil rights history as a freshman at North Carolina A&T State University in 1960. He took part in the Greensboro sit-in movement at the Woolworth lunch counter, which set him on a career of community activism. Today he serves as a motivational speaker advocating pro-family causes in the Black community. Henderson chaired the NC Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission in 2013 and has authored a school curriculum about King’s life. Henderson received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award, the state’s highest civilian honor, in 2016. He serves as national spokesman for the Frederick Douglass Foundation and has presided over the organization’s North Carolina chapter.

Hunter has made an indelible impact as an English teacher, curriculum facilitator, and mentor at Page High School in Greensboro. Since 2016 Hunter has led a group of 40 male Black students in the school’s Team Voyage program. She coordinates weekly group meetings and occasional individual meetings with the students to encourage their educational advancement, community involvement, and social networking. Hunter promotes mentorship among the students and inspires Team Voyage to lead projects like a teddy bear drive, stocking the school’s food pantry, campus cleanup, and the annual Week to be Sincere, which honors the life of a fallen Page student.

Linster taught, mentored, and supported many young women in her time as an administrator and professor at Bennett College. She inspired and secured grants in support of students who went on to successful professional careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Linster twice served as Bennett’s interim provost and academic dean and conducted federally funded research on HIV/AIDS and alcoholism in the Black community. She is a member of the board of directors for Black Child Development, a nonprofit organization that supports Greensboro children and families. Linster holds a bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees from UNC Greensboro and is active in her church where she provides aid to individuals in need and service to seniors.

The HRC honored the first five Everyday Champions Award winners in 2023. The initial class of honorees consisted of Melvin ‘Skip’ Alston, T. Dianne Bellamy Small, Joyce Gorham-Worsley, James Shields, and Rev. Dr. T. Anthony Spearman.

The HRC is tasked with improving the quality of life for Greensboro residents by encouraging fair treatment and promoting mutual understanding and respect among all people. Visit www.greensboro-nc.gov/hrc or contact Coordinator of Outreach and Education Paula Washington at 336-373-2038 for more information.

Original source can be found here.