Heritage Awards highlight civil rights efforts

Legacies of four civil rights pioneers were remembered at the inaugural Heritage Awards which were sponsored by Mississippi Power.

“I sincerely hope this will be the first of many civil rights events,” CEO Ed Holland said Saturday, welcoming more than 500 attendees to the Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention Center. “All of these individuals had a tremendous impact on the civil rights movement, and their accomplishments serve as an inspiration to all of us.”

The honorees were:

• Vernon Dahmer Sr., former president of the Forrest County NAACP chapter
• State Rep. Isiah Fredericks
• Dr. Gilbert R. Mason Sr.
• State Rep. Charles L. Young Sr.

Members of each man’s family were on hand to accept awards in the men’s honor.

Percy Bland, the mayor of Meridian, said the event serves as a reminder of what these men accomplished.

“These men give us the opportunity to continue to live out their dreams through each and every one of us,” he said.

Charles Evers – the brother of civil rights activist Medgar Evers – served as the guest speaker.

“Thank you for giving me the privilege (of being the first speaker at the inaugural Heritage Awards),” Evers said. “These men we were honoring tonight were all my dear friends.”