The Alabama NAACP recently held its annual Bridge Crossing Gala. The event, in its 57th year, was at the Embassy Suites Conference Center in Montgomery.
Speakers included U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed, and the Rev. Jesse Jackson. Darlena Battle, Corporate Relations specialist for Alabama Power, emceed the event.
As part of the festivities, several people and organizations were honored for their commitment to diversity and building a better Alabama. Students and NAACP members made up the honorees, who included:
- Outstanding Leadership: Benard Simelton, Alabama NAACP president.
- Foot Soldiers Scholarship Contributor: Regions Bank.
- Shining Star Award: Carlos King, creator and executive producer of the “Love & Marriage Huntsville” reality show.
- Foot Soldiers Scholarship Award: Alyssa Miles, Andrea Wainwright.
- Gamechanger: Jasmine Washington Cook, Raven Perry-Beach.
- Trailblazer: Patricia A. Haley.
- Foot Soldier: Bobby Diggs.
- Humanitarian: Alec Barnett.
- Living History: Les Brown.
- Unsung Hero: Brenda Debose.
The NAACP was founded in 1909 with a vision to “ensure a society in which all individuals have equal rights and there is no racial hatred or racial discrimination,” according to the association’s website. It is the nation’s largest civil rights organization, with “over 2 million activists fighting for change and for justice.”
For more information about the NAACP and its programs, please visit www.alnaacp.org.
Republished with the permission of the Alabama News Center.
