June 19, 2022- On Saturday, members of the Decatur Macon County community attended Richland Community College’s Enriching Our History Gala, to celebrate the success of the Enrich program at RCC.
“Since 2018, we have served over 1,500 people, and these are hard numbers,” Reverend Courtney Carson, Assistant Vice President of External Affairs said. “90 percent of those individuals have went to work. 89 percent of those individuals are still at work after a six month checkup. 78 percent of those individuals have been African American. 55 percent of those individuals have been directly impacted or have a conviction.”
Community leaders, educators, business owners, politicians, and community organizations were in attendance.
The program began at 6 p.m. with a silent auction and opening remarks from Dr. Jeremy Morris, Richland’s Vice President of Finance, and director of the Minority Mentor Protege Program.
Following the opening, guests sang Lift Every Voice and Sing, to celebrate the Juneteenth holiday that took place over the weekend.
While guests indulged in the dinner that had been prepared for them, the program continued with an overview of the Enrich Program, from Dr. Juanita Morris, mentor for the MMPP and coordinator of the Jerry J. Dawson Civic Leadership Institute.
Reverend Ezra Penermon did the invocation, and former Macon County Sheriff, Tony Brown, was the keynote speaker.
“I had the opportunity to see a guy in our neighborhood that wore the brown sheriff’s office uniform, driving in the car, and watching how he interacted with the community,” Brown said. “And you know, how much respect they had for him as well, and the guy looked like me.”
The event concluded with an awards ceremony.
Below is the list of honorees.
Community Partner Awards:
Changing Lives- Dr. Cristobal Valdez
Lifetime Achievement- Dr. Jeanelle Norman
Diversity and Inclusion- Natalie Beck
Preserving Our History- Evelyn Hood
Business Partner of the Year- Dunn Company
Educational Partner Award:
DPS61 Innovation in Education- Ashley Grayned
Outstanding Participants:
James Lamont Wright Award- Amar Washington
MMPP- Mesha Graham Fields
Essential Skills- Richard Palmer
Industrial Skills- Vance Auton
Para-Professional- LaToya Branch
Construction- Earl Taylor Jr.
Construction: D’Antwon Davis
Manufacturing- Mark Crawford
Manufacturing- Antwone Brown
Sophomore Enrichment Experience- Isaiah Bradford
The Valdez-Carson Human & Civil Rights Education Award- Dr. Juanita Morris
Trailblazer Award- Courtney Carson
To learn more about the Enrich Program, visit RCC’s website.
