Person of the Year

We’ve been holding off announcing this year’s Person of the Year and we’re glad to share this moment with the recipient and those who know, love and respect her and the work she has done over her lifetime.

We are proud of our previous recipients because whatever anyone feels about them, all we ask is that they check the receipts. This year’s recipient, like Rev. Yvette Blair Lavallais, Judge Tammy Kemp, Hall of Fame journalist Roland Martin, and Coach Deion “Prime” Sanders have long receipts and memories.

So many have benefitted from the works of the aforementioned and while some will ever admit it, others are proud to say they stand on the shoulders of these giants.

For at least 50 years, we have publicly had an opportunity to scrutinize, criticize, praise, challenge and more. She’s taken the critiques and praise with grace and stayed her course, ending her career in public office as not only the eldest member of Congress, but one of the most effective members; just ask her biggest critics who really know the deal.

Recently during a “conversation” with the Gentle Lady from Texas, she spoke candidly about how she got started in politics.

Retired U.S. Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson was the featured speaker at the annual In Conversation benefitting the Zan Wesley Holmes Outreach Center, which is named in honor of long-time statesman, pastor and Johnson’s Waco school mate, Dr. Zan Wesley Holmes, Jr.

As I interviewed the woman who has so. Many “firsts” in front of her name; I was impressed with her memory as she talked about moments in her life that helped to shape her into a woman who would travel to more than 80 countries, meeting world leaders and helping to build a better world.

She championed issues that were not always popular and she remained committed to the causes she deemed worthy. Passionate, devoted and focused, you could never say she was ill-prepared.

Her story is a wonderful one and soon we will be able to read, in her own words, about her journey and those whose paths crossed with hers.

When she announced her retirement, it was a shock to many and to her credit she named the person she felt could carry on the work of District 30; so for those who say Black leadership does not support, encourage and prepare future leaders, here was an example, with her selection of then-TX. State Representative Jasmine Crockett.

There are also many other rising stars, like Damarcus Offord who we can expect great things from in the future; or Gary Hasty whose efforts on behalf of homeless veterans is laudable.

And then she retired with grace, lendHon. Eddie

See MY TRUTH, page 5