Sephira Bailey; Doug Jones; BCRI Board Chairman; Congresswoman Terri A. Sewell; Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, Recipient of The Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Awards; Odessa Woolfolk, Chairman Award; Birmingham Mayor William Bell and Andrea L. Taylor, President and CEO of the BCRI. (Stephonia Taylor Mclinn, special to The Times)
Story by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.
Photos by Stephonia Taylor McLinn and Solomon Crenshaw Jr
The Birmingham Times
Sephira Bailey; Doug Jones; BCRI Board Chairman; Congresswoman Terri A. Sewell; Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, Recipient of The Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Awards; Odessa Woolfolk, Chairman Award; Birmingham Mayor William Bell and Andrea L. Taylor, President and CEO of the BCRI. (Stephonia Taylor Mclinn, special to The Times)
The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI) on Saturday presented Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton with its annual 2016 Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award.
The annual BCRI award recognizes individuals for their service to civil and human rights causes around the world
During ceremonies at the Lyric Theatre in downtown Birmingham, Norton said, “I accept it as a call for action to do all I can for reenactment of the Voting Rights Act and for the effort to confront the spread of voting rights discrimination throughout our great nation.
“In accepting this extraordinary award, I must call for a new national movement to combat national voting discrimination and suppression in the United States of America.”
Other award winners included, Odessa Woolfolk, who received the first Odessa Woolfolk Community Leadership Award. The chair emerita of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute accepted the honor “on behalf of the broad coalition of folks who toiled mightily to create and sustain this special place.”
Bobbie J. Knight, immediate past chairman of the BCRI board, and her husband, Gary Burley received the BCRI’s President’s Award, and Birmingham Mayor William Bell and the Birmingham City Council received the Chairman’s Award.
The evening featured the musical talents of conductor/arranger Dr. Henry Panion III and his orchestra, Ruben Studdard, guitarist Eric Essix, Belinda George Peoples, the Birmingham Sunlights and others.
Dr Henry Panion lll Odessa Woolfolk, Ruben Studdard, Cathy Sloss Jones, Shephira Bailey Shuttlesworth Diane McWhorter, Eri Essix and Mayor William A Bell,Sr. (Stephonia Taylor Mclinn, special to The Times)
Congresswoman Terri Sewell, left, and Birmingham Mayor William Bell pose with the top honorees at the 2016 Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award Celebration. Congresswoman Eleanor Homes Norton, second from left, received the 2016 Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award and BCRI chair emerita received the community leadership award named in her honor. The event, benefitting the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, was Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016, at the Lyric Theatre. (Solomon Crenshaw Jr., special to The Times)
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton and Odessa Woolfolk were the top honorees at the 2016 Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award Celebration. Holmes received the 2016 Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award while BCRI chair emerita received the community leadership award named in her honor. The event, benefitting the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, was Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016, at the Lyric Theatre. (Solomon Crenshaw Jr., special to The Times)
Norm Davis and Cathy Sloss Jones , Committee Co Chair , of the 2016 Fred L ‘Shuttlesworth Human Rights (Stephonia Taylor Mclinn, special to The Times)
Sephira Bailey; Doug Jones; BCRI Board Chairman; Congresswoman Terri A. Sewell; Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, Recipient of The Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Awards; Odessa Woolfolk, Chairman Award; Birmingham Mayor William Bell and Andrea L. Taylor, President and CEO of the BCRI. (Stephonia Taylor Mclinn, special to The Times)
The Birmingham Sunlights (Stephonia Taylor Mclinn, special to The Times)
Mayor William Bell and Dr. Henry Panion III (Stephonia Taylor Mclinn, special to The Times)
Songstress Belinda George Peoples (Stephonia Taylor Mclinn, special to The Times)
Birmingham’s Belinda George Peoples belts out a song during the 2016 Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award Celebration honoring Congresswoman Eleanor Homes Norton. The event was Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016, at the Lyric Theatre. (Solomon Crenshaw Jr., special to The Times)
Belinda George Peoples shares the stage with the Birmingham Sunlights during the 2016 Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award Celebration honoring Congresswoman Eleanor Homes Norton. The event was Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016, at The Lyric Theatre. (Solomon Crenshaw Jr., special to The Times)
Valerie T. Smith does a duet with former American Idol winner Ruben Studdard during the 2016 Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award Celebration honoring Congresswoman Eleanor Homes Norton. The event was Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016, at The Lyric Theatre. (Solomon Crenshaw Jr., special to The Times)
Dr. Henry Panion III directs the orchestra during the 2016 Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award Celebration honoring Congresswoman Eleanor Homes Norton. The event, which benefitted the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, was Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016, at The Lyric Theatre. (Solomon Crenshaw Jr., special to The Times)
Guitarist Eric Essix strums a tune during the 2016 Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award Celebration honoring Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton. The event, benefiting the Birmingham Civil r was Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016, at the Lyric Theatre. (Solomon Crenshaw Jr., special to The Times)
Mayor Bell and Dr Henry Panion lll Committee Co Chair of the 2016 Fred L Shuttlesworth Human Right Awards. (Stephonia Taylor Mclinn, special to The Times)
