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10th
Annual Ohio Civil Rights Hall of Fame Inductees Announced
On October 4, 2018, the Ohio Civil Rights Commission (OCRC)
along with sponsors Wright State University, Honda
of America, and PNC, will host the Tenth Annual Ohio Civil
Rights Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The Civil Rights
Hall of Fame seeks to acknowledge outstanding Ohioans who
are recognized as pioneers in human and civil rights and who
have advanced the goals of equality and inclusion.
The 2018 Ohio Civil Rights Hall of Fame honorees are:
·
Errol Alexander, PhD (Sandusky) -
Civil rights advocate who fought segregation in Ohio before
reaching international prominence as a scholar and artist
·
Joseph Carter Corbin, PhD (1833-1911) -
Education trail blazer, advocate for African American
Ohioans and founder of the first college in Arkansas to
graduate former slaves and their descendants
·
Speaker Jo Ann Davidson (Reynoldsburg) -
First female Speaker of the House of Ohio Representatives
and founder of the Jo Ann Davidson Leadership Institute for
women
·
James Obergefell (Cincinnati) - LGBTQ
activist and plaintiff in the landmark Obergefell vs.
Hodges Supreme Court case
·
Renee Powell (East Canton) -
One of the first African-American LPGA golfers and current
owner of Clearview Golf Club, the first African-American
owned golf clubs in the United States
·
William Powell (1916-2009) - Builder,
owner and operator of the first African American owned golf
club in the United States, Clearview Golf Club
The Ohio Civil Rights Hall of Fame program will consist of a
formal ceremony that will honor these inductees. The keynote
speaker for this year’s ceremony will be Judge Algenon L.
Marbley, U.S. District Court Judge for the Southern District
of Ohio. Angela Pace, Director of Community Affairs for 10TV
Columbus, will serve as Mistress of Ceremonies for this
year’s event and the Harmony Project will perform. Chair
Lori Barreras of the Ohio Civil Rights Commission said, "It
is an honor to celebrate these extraordinary individuals who
have done so much to serve and inspire all Ohioans in their
pursuit of civil rights."
In addition to the Ohio Civil Rights Hall of Fame induction,
this year the Commissioners of the Ohio Civil Rights
Commission will present a new honor at the ceremony. The
Commissioners' Community Spirit Award will recognize Ohioans
who embody leadership, achievement, and citizenship. The
inaugural recipients of the Community Spirit Award are Larry
and Donna James.
Community Spirit Award recipients must demonstrate
leadership, achievement and citizenship through works
to unite the community in work to advance civil rights,
equality, and diversity in Ohio. Larry and Donna James have
demonstrated these characteristics through their work on the
I, Too, Sing America: The Harlem Renaissance at 100
project and their many other organizations and projects to
benefit the community.
The Tenth Annual Ohio Civil Rights Hall of Fame induction
ceremony will take place on Thursday October 4, 2018 at
10:00 a.m. in the Ohio Statehouse Atrium in Columbus, OH.
The event is free and all members of the public are invited
to attend the induction ceremony and the reception to be
held in the Ohio Statehouse Rotunda immediately following.
Members of the public can RSVP at
www.2018ocrhof.eventbrite.com.
For more information, visit the
Ohio
Civil Rights Hall of Fame page
and the Commissioners'
Community Spirit Award page
of the Ohio Civil Rights Commission
website.
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