Community leaders, educators, journalists, residents and family from across the Roanoke Valley gathered May 8 for the local Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s 26th Annual Citizen of the Year Awards Program and 74th Silver Life Membership Recognition Dinner, an evening dedicated to celebrating service, leadership and the continued pursuit of justice.
The event was held at the Holiday Inn Airport Conference Center with the theme “Rooted in Justice, Rising with Purpose.”
The annual program, this year emceed by Rev. Dr. Amy Hodge highlighted individuals whose work has strengthened the community in fields ranging from education and healthcare to media, business and youth leadership.
During opening comments branch President Dr. Brenda L. Hale noted that the Roanoke Branch, chartered in 1933, has spent more than nine decades advocating for equity in education, healthcare, employment and civic engagement throughout the region. She said support for the annual event helps sustain the organization’s mission and invests in the next generation of leaders.
The dinner banquet drew a full crowd of attendees dressed in formal attire, creating an atmosphere that was elegant and welcoming. Guests enjoyed dinner as community members applauded honorees whose contributions have had a lasting impact on the Roanoke Valley. Many recipients received standing ovations, reflecting the deep admiration and gratitude felt throughout the room.
Joe Cobb delivered remarks centered on the concept of the “beloved community,” a vision championed by Martin Luther King Jr.. Drawing on faith, literature and history, Cobb urged attendees to create a society rooted in love, hospitality and justice.
“We are meant to love,” Cobb said. “We are meant to create a loving community that breaks down the barriers of poverty, food insecurity and lack of healthcare access.”
The evening’s distinguished guest speaker, Beth Macy, reflected on her decades as a journalist in Roanoke and the importance of telling stories about people whose voices are often overlooked. Macy, a New York Times bestselling author and former reporter for The Roanoke Times, highlighted local figures such as civil rights leader A.L. Holland, educator Lucy Addison and librarian Carla Lewis.
“These women and men built an infrastructure here against so many odds,” Macy said. “They’re the reason we’re still here.”
Macy also encouraged community members to remain engaged in public life, support one another and continue advocating for those most affected by inequality.
Among the 2026 Citizen of the Year recipients were Cedric Wilson, Jody Anderson, Richard Chubb, Alaysha Hall, Lisa Spencer, Jermaine Ferrell, Dr. Carolyn Clark, Rev. Sean Burch, Brenda Hamilton, Richard Wilson and Charles Price. Special honors were also presented to Tanisha Nash, Sonnya Preston and Sonya Roman with the Rev. R.R. Wilkinson Memorial Award for Social Justice, while Christian Burnette received the President’s Award.
By the end of the event, the applause had become a kind of testimony of a collective tribute to the people who quietly shape the Roanoke Valley for the better.. Again and again, guests rose to their feet to honor educators, advocates, business leaders and young people whose work often happens far from the spotlight but leaves a lasting imprint on the Roanoke Valley. In a room filled with celebration, power and purpose, one thing that stood out was: justice is built not only through historic movements or people in authority, but through ordinary people who choose, day after day, to serve their community.
