Previous Honorees
2012
U.S. Ambassador Nicole Avant 
Black Hotel General Managers Honorable Cory A. Booker Earth, Wind & Fire Reverend C. L. Franklin Tyrese Gibson Mary Parker Pat and Emmitt Smith Ted Turner Dr. Levi Watkins, Jr.
2011
Dr. Andre’ Keith Dr. Kevin Churchwell The Honorable Eric H. Holder, Jr. Harry E. Johnson, Sr. Alfred C. Liggins, III Paul Madison Judge Greg Mathis The O’Jays Richard Roundtree Reverend Al Sharpton Chief Justice Georgina Wood
2010
Frankie Beverly and MAZE Judge Clarence Cooper Dr. Farrah Gray Steve Harvey Rev. Jim Holley Ph.D. Don Jackson Evelyn Lowery Rev. Joseph E. Lowery Clarence Otis, Jr. John Rogers, Jr. Synthia Saint James General William E. Ward
2009
Dr. Alvin Crawford Earvin “Magic” Johnson Chief Richard Pennington Michael Roberts Johnathan Rodgers Raven-Symoné Chris Tucker Tuskegee Airmen Pastor Paula White
2008
Shareef Abdur-Rahim Halle Berry Dr. T.B. Boyd III The Honorable Paul L. Brady Chris “Ludacris” Bridges Sheila C. Johnson Brian O. Jordan Dr. Vance and Dr. Vincent Moss Najee Don Thompson The Honorable Thurbert Baker Congressman Sanford Bishop, Jr. The Honorable Paul Howard, Jr. Congressman Hank Johnson, Jr. Khalil Johnson Judge Thelma Wyatt Cummings Moore Congressman David Scott The Honorable Georganna Sinkfield The Honorable Calvin Smyre Commissioner Michael Thurmond The Honorable Al Williams Danny Glover
2007
Toni Braxton Nancy G. Brinker John Carlos Dr. Denzil L. Douglas Orok Duke Ed Dwight Clint Eastwood Hill Harper Quincy Jones Michael Jordan J. Terrence Lanni Donnie McClurkin Justice Alan C. Page Tommie Smith Percy E. Sutton Dionne Warwick Cece Winans
2006
Dr. Keith L. Black Lorenzo D. Creighton Vivica A. Fox Dr. Bobby Jones Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears Usher Archbishop Desmond Tutu Stevie Wonder Danny J. Bakewell, Sr. Rev. C.T. Vivian
2005
Honorable Dennis W. Archer Joe Louis Dudley, Sr. Mayor Shirley Franklin Dick Gregory Beyoncé Knowles Venus Williams Nancy Wilson Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr. Bishop T.D. Jakes Bishop Eddie L. Long Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie Father Theodore M. Hesburgh President Lyndon B. Johnson Honorable Michael Misick Donald Young, Jr. Serena Williams
2004
Jordan Adams Don Barden Angela Bassett Isaac Hayes Norman Lear President Nelson Mandela Dr. Anthony Pollard Della Reese Sylvia Rhone Russell Simmons Dr. C. Delores Tucker Judge Horace T. Ward
2003
The Honorable Perry Gladstone Christie Ossie Davis Ruby Dee Destiny’s Child Thomas W. Dortch, Jr. Julius “Dr. J” Erving Pam Grier Vernon E. Jordan, Jr. Spike Lee Mark Whitaker Lieutenant Colonel Marilyn Wills Cheyenne Woods
2002
Sidney Poitier Ted Turner Andrew Young Cicely Tyson Congressman Harold Ford, Jr. Tom Joyner John H. Johnson Senator Carol Moseley Braun Rev. Johnnie Colemon Congresswoman Yvonne Braithwaite Burke Sylvia Flanagan Dr. Audrey Forbes Manley Dr. Vivian Pinn Ernesta Procope Dr. Condoleezza Rice Congresswoman Maxine Waters Meharry Medical College
2001
Ray Charles Clive Davis Geoffrey Holder Carmen de Lavallade Willie Mays Jacqueline L. Mims Leslie Uggams Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm Congressman John Conyers, Jr. Governor Charles W. Turnbull Lieutenant Governor Joe Rogers Mayor Maynard H. Jackson, Jr. Justice Thurgood Marshall Florida A & M University Senator Edward W. Brooke
2000
Shirley Caesar Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr. Judge Damon J. Keith Patti LaBelle Lou Rawls Marlon St. Julien Captain Patrice Clarke Washington Tracey Edmonds Ann Fudge Earl G. Graves Debra L. Lee George R. Lewis Richard Parsons Linda Johnson Rice Lloyd Ward
1999
Matel Dawson, Jr. Bryant Gumbel Eunice Johnson Jessye Norman Smokey Robinson Dr. Dorothy Height Frank Sinatra Jackie Joyner Kersee John “Buck” O’Neil Eddie Robinson Congressman John Lewis
1998
Jacquelyn Barrett Lerone Bennett, Jr. Larry Doby Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds Beverly Harvard Margie Lewis Reginald Lewis Don Newcombe General Colin Powell Whitney Houston Wynton Marsalis Eugene Lang Mrs. Sonya Carson Father George Clements Rev. & Mrs. Jesse Jackson, Sr. Mrs. Deloris Jordan Mr. & Mrs. Earl Woods
1997
Willie E. Gary Louis Gossett, Jr. Anthony Mark Hankins Florence Griffith Joyner B.B. King Mayor Ron Kirk Jonathan Kozol Hazel O’Leary Bernard Shaw Louis Sullivan, M.D. Edward T. Lewis Clarence O. Smith Susan Taylor Essence Magazine Gladys Knight
1996
Kathleen Battle Harry Belafonte Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. Virgis W. Colbert Nat “King” Cole Myrlie Evers-Williams Dr. Pedro Jose Greer Cathy Hughes Dr. LaSalle Leffall, Jr. Charley Pride Ronald Townsend Lenny Wilkens Eldrick “Tiger” Woods
1995
Henry Aaron Black Advertising Agencies Dr. Roy C. Bell Thomas J. Burrell Diahann Carroll Vincent T. Cullers Dr. Albert M. Davis Marian Wright Edelman Dr. James B. Ellison Jack Greenberg, Esq. Robert E. Johnson Jet Magazine Phylicia Rashad Randall Robinson Carl T. Rowan Dr. Otis W. Smith Billy Dee Williams Willie L. Brown, Jr. Byron Lewis
1994
Muhammad Ali Maya Angelou Mayor Tom Bradley Congressional Black Caucus Valerie Ferguson Dr. John Hope Franklin Nathaniel R. Goldston, III Jesse Hill, Jr. Lena Horne Terry McMillan Gordon Parks Rosa Parks Carole Simpson Wayman F. Smith Rev. Leon H. Sullivan Judge Elbert P. Tuttle (5th Circuit Court of Appeals) Carl Ware Nancy Wilson Judge John Minor Wisdom (5th Circuit Court of Appeals)
1993
Gregory Baranco Juanita Baranco Dr. Benjamin Carson Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole (Black Colleges) Comer Cottrell Anita L. DeFrantz Suzanne dePasse Mayor Henry Espy (National Conference of Black Mayors) Judge A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr. Evander Holyfield Dr. Benjamin Hooks (NAACP) Kevin Hooks John E. Jacob (National Urban League) Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. Mayor Maynard H. Jackson, Jr. Dr. Mae C. Jemison Robert L. Johnson Herb Jones Family James Earl Jones Quincy Jones Coretta Scott King Rev. Joseph Lowery (SCLC) Justice Thurgood Marshall Robi Reed Rachel Robinson Herman J. Russell Dr. David Satcher Gwen Torrence Cynthia Tucker Governor Douglas Wilder Peter Wise Andrew Young Isabell Cottrell Bishop Barbara Harris Jennifer Lawson