The Chattanooga Hamilton County NAACP celebrated its 2017 30th Annual Ruby Hurley Image Awards Banquet on Oct. 26. Celebrating 77 years of service to the greater Chattanooga-Hamilton County area, the theme was "A Bridge Over Troubled Water".
The keynote speaker was Mr. Eldrin Bell of Atlanta, first African American police chief and commissioner of Atlanta.
The Ruby Hurley Humanitarian Award Recipient was Mr.
Martin Luther King III, distinguished and renown Civil Right activist, son of Noble Peace Prize recipient and civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Ruby Hurley Image Awardees are as follows:
President Award: Mr. James Mathis
CB Robinson Ambassador Award: Mr. Yusef Hakeem
Corporate Sponsor of the Year: Erlanger Hospital
James R. Mapp Citizen of the Year: Reverend Charles Moore and Elder J.R. Bridgeman
Ralph Cothran Civil Service Officer of the Year: Sergeant. Wayne Jefferson, Jr., Chattanooga Police Department; Jessica White, Hamilton County Sheriff Department; (Firefighter) Randy Stargin, Jr.
Hannah Martin Spirit of Dedication Award: Mrs. Ann Jones-Pierre
Business person of the Year: Mr. Rodney Billups (Herman Soul Food)
Educator of the Year: Ms. Theresa Turner, M. Ed.
President Award: Mr. James Mathis
Viola Mapp Membership of the Year: Mr. George Calhoun
Community Activist Youth Award: Mr. Marcellus Barnes, Sr. (President/Founder of Unity Performing Arts Foundation of Chattanooga)
Reginald “Reggie” White Athletic Award: Michael D. Hatter, Red Bank High School, 3.7 GPA, Football and Soccer; Parents: Derrick and Karen Hatter
Chattanooga Legends: Dr. Tommie Brown, John P. Franklin, Sr., Reverend Paul McDaniel,
The late Reverend Roy Calvin Noel, Sr., C.B. Robinson and James R. Mapp
Dr. Elenora Woods is president of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Branch NAACP. Patricia Shackleford-Gray is the Ruby Hurley Freedom Fund chairperson.