Hello World,

The Beloved Community Awards (formerly The Salute to Greatness Awards Gala) is back in-person and is one of the marquee events of The King Center’s week-long holiday experience. This year’s event, hosted by Malcolm Jamal Warner and Michelle Williams, will feature musical performances by MAJOR., Deborah Cox, Goldford, and Angel Taylor. The ceremony will be held at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta on Saturday, January 14th, at 7:30 PM and will stream on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and on thekingcenter.org, Monday, January 16th, at 7:00 PM.

The Beloved Community Awards recognizes national and international individuals and organizations that exemplify excellence in leadership, pursue social justice, and are committed to creating the Beloved Community.  Afterglow will follow The Beloved Community Awards featuring DJ Frank Ski and multi-award-winning artist, Stephanie Mills in concert.

The King Center is proud to honor

• Salute to Greatness Corporate Social Impact honoree, Ariel Investments accepted by John Rogers Jr., Chairman and Co-CEO
• Salute to Greatness Humanitarian honoree, Yvon Chouinard, Founder of Patagonia
• Beloved Community Civic Leadership honoree, Melanie Campbell, President and CEO of The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and National Convenor of The Black Women’s Roundtable
• Beloved Community Social Justice honoree, Shane Claiborne, Activist, Author, and Co-Founder of Red Letter Christians
• Coretta Scott King Soul of the Nation honoree, Aminata Toure, Minister of Social Affairs, Youth, Family, Senior Citizens, Integration, and Equality of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
• Yolanda D. King Higher Ground honoree, HollyRod Foundation, accepted by Rodney and Holly Robinson Peete
• Beloved Community Youth Influencer honoree, Panther Anti-Racist Union of Pennsylvania Beloved Community Technological Innovation honoree, Reshma Saujani, Founder & CEO, Marshall Plan for Moms and Girls Who Code
• Christine King Farris “Legacy of Service in Education” honoree, Dolly Parton, longtime education advocate, and entertainer, will be honored in absentia.

“I am excited to celebrate the impactful work that is taking place throughout our world. From honoring trailblazers across industries to educating our audiences on best practices in justice, equity, and peace; the Beloved Community Awards will be a night you won’t forget, as we continue to honor those committed to creating the Beloved Community,” said CEO, Dr. Bernice A. King.

Tickets for the awards ceremony and Afterglow are $250 and $75 for Afterglow only. To buy tickets, click HERE. 

Also, please see below for the 2023 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Observance Schedule of Events:

Any thoughts?

Also, please see below

The post Malcolm-Jamal Warner & Michelle Williams To Cohost The King Center’s Beloved Community Awards This Saturday! appeared first on After the Altar Call.

11Alive Education Reporter Donna Lowry (far left) and Fox 5 Anchor Lisa Rayam (far right) presenting me (center) and the editors of “Atlanta Tribune: The Magazine” Kamille D. Whittaker (left) and Katrice L. Mines (right) with the award… Just a candid shot…

I haven’t written an introspective post in exactly a month so I thought it would be good to kick off Aug. 1 with some inner reflection instead of reacting to the news of the day…

On Sunday morning, I had simply prayed for encouragement, and I went to church and was encouraged…I was reminded of these verses…

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith…Hebrews 12:1-3 (A good verse for Olympians by the way…)

I don’t know about you but one of my character defects is comparing my accomplishments to the accomplishments of other people…So Saturday, I was thinking about the accomplishments of other authors I know or have heard of and lamenting the fact that I got started late in the game…And my mind started whirring with all of the tasks that I needed to do to catch up…It was exhausting just thinking about it…By Sunday morning, I realized I needed an intervention so I prayed…And when I heard this verse in church, I was reminded that God has a “race marked out” for each of us, and that I need to keep my eyes on Him not other people…My chief aim is to please God – not anyone else…What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? (from the Bible) Not that we shouldn’t have goals or aspirations, but we have to keep them in line with His will for us…

Later Sunday, I went to the 30th Pioneer Black Journalists Awards which was sponsored by the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists at the Georgia Freight Depot. (Malcolm- Jamal Warner hosted the event! Theo! So yummy ) I went there after church just to fellowship with my fellow black journalists and enjoy the jazz brunch. I munched as I heard the different journalists being called to the stage to receive their awards. And then I heard my name called…I had been nominated for a piece I wrote about the first black women to attend Georgia Tech about 50 years ago…I didn’t win that award, but I stopped focusing on the food and really started listening…Could I be winning an award today, I wondered…And then my name was called again for my contribution to several articles that were written for “Atlanta Tribune: The Magazine”  in which we offered a forecast of business trends for 2011…I didn’t even know I was nominated…

It was the confirmation that I needed to know that I am on a path that God has already charted for me, and basically, I just need to stay in my lane…not that I expect to receive an award every time I need some encouragement…I was already feeling fine after I left church, but it was a wonderful surprise…thanks God!

Any thoughts?

P.S. Had I known I was going to win an award, I would have had “hair and makeup” going on…

The post When God Surprises You… appeared first on After the Altar Call.