The Chattanooga Hamilton County NAACP has announced the following awardees and event details in conjunction with the 28th Annual Ruby Hurley Image Awards Banquet. Celebrating 75 years of service to the greater Chattanooga-Hamilton County area, the theme this year is Hats Off to the Heroes.
The Ruby Hurley Image Awardees are as follows:
Ruby Hurley Humanitarian of the Year: John Edwards III. (Chattanooga News Chronicle)
James R. Mapp Citizen of the Year: Councilman Moses Freeman
Ralph Cothran Civil Service Officer of the Year: (Police Chief) Curtis L. Green, Chattanooga State College, (Fireman) Lieutenant Vernon Lane
Hannah Martin Spirit Award: Patricia Shackelford-Gray
Businessperson of the Year: Ms. Sharon Kelly (Sharon's Senior Services/ entrepreneur)
Educator of the Year: Ms. Jennifer Woods M. Ed., retired educator
President Award: Mr. Sam Terry, (community talk show host of WNOO)
Viola Mapp Membership of the Year: Dr. Elenora Woods
Reginald “Reggie” White Athletic Award: (One male and one female are awarded and each must have a minimum 3.0 GPA) 1. William James Pierce III, GPA 4.0 is an 11th grader at CSAS and plays football for Tyner High School. Parents are Mr and Mrs. William James Pierce Jr. and Marlean Paulette Pierce. 2. Jessica LeAnn Pierce 4.0 GPA is a 9th grader at CSAS and plays volleyball for CSAS
There will be performances by youth including ACT-SO, the NAACP Youth Choir, and an appearance and performance by 12-year-old Kerstyn Jones of Lithonia, Ga., the daughter of Lisa Rowe and Pastor McKenzie Jones and the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Larry (Beverly) Rowe Sr.
The featured live bands will include the Booker T. Scruggs Ensemble and the Power Players Showcase Band.
There will be a grand farewell and salute to the remarkable life of James R. Mapp and unveil to the community a documentary chronicling the Chattanooga Hamilton County NAACP's 75 years of service.
The guest speaker will be Reverend Dr. Ernest L. Reid, pastor of Second Missionary Baptist Church, an accomplished minister and the former NAACP president of Reading, Pa.
The event will be held at the Chattanooga Trade Convention Center, 1150 Carter St. on Thursday at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5 p.m. The attire is semi-formal to formal.
For further questions please email: naacpchattanooga@epbfi.com or contact Monique Poinson, Ruby Hurley chairperson, at 227-0911 or Warbrit Lowery, Ruby Hurley co-chair, at 619-0470 or
the NAACP Office at 267-5637. Office hours are Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.