ONYX TRIBUTE
SOCIAL JUSTICE AWARD
ONYX Magazine Publisher Receives prestigious award during 5000 Role Models 30th anniversary
O
Rich Black
NYX Magazine Publisher and CEO Rich Black received the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Award for Social Justice during the 30th anniversary of the 5000 Role Model of Excellence MLK Breakfast in Miami on the observance of Dr. King’s birthday. The recognition will be chronicled in the United States Library of Congress. Led by founder Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (D-Miami Gardens), the event brought together more than 2,000 elected officials, business professionals, foreign delegates, and other community members.
Known to many as “The Great Connector,” Rich Black was recognized for his community compassion and innate ability to galvanize people, encouraging them to stand in the gap for those in need. The devastating aftermath of Hurricane Ian in 2022 encouraged him to gather a group of leaders representing the faith-based community. Their charge was to advocate for their communities and speed FEMA funds to the hardest-hit residents. The success of that charge led Black to receive the Emmett Till Award from the National Conference of Black Churches.
Black also thought of his community first at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. He and his team launched a campaign to distribute information about COVID-19 safety in Black communities in the Orlando metro area. Further, Black was at the helm of the movement to build a statue of Dr. Mary McLeod-Bethune on Bethune-Cookman University’s campus during its centennial in 2004. The statue project was the model in the marketing campaign for Bethune’s statute in Washington D.C.’s Statuary Hall in July 2022.
Award recipients
“As the architect of the ONYX Foundation, Black and his team illuminate paths to excellence through cultural enrichment, literacy, community enhancement, and financial well-being.” As a visionary, he transcended the publication by creating innovative programs that amplify community
triumphs: ONYX Speaks, ONYX Business Connect, the annual Women on the Move luncheon, and the annual
Men of Honor black-tie gala, all which reign as exceptional programs. Collectively, they have highlighted the masterwork of more than 200 of Florida’s most impactful and influential professionals since 2016. As the architect of the ONYX Foundation, established in 2017, Black and his team illuminate paths to excellence through cultural enrichment, literacy, community enhancement, and financial well-being. The Foundation introduced a scholarship program to assist high school and college students who aspire to attend an institution of higher learning.
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
Rich Black and Congresswoman Frederica Wilson
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Omari Hardwick and U.S. Second Douglas Emhoff Gentleman
Dee Parker, Connie Kinnard, Rich Black, Omari Hardwick
More event highlights included the swearing in of 50 young men into the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project. Omari Hardwick, known
Rich Black and Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis
for his role as Ghost on hit series “Power” was named the National Spokesman of the 5000. Also U.S. Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff spoke passionately about his platform to battle hate. Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis was sworn in as a Role Model. Other award recipients are Mr. and Mrs. Johnny Brown, the parents of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson; Octavio J. Visiedo, former Miami-Dade County Public School superintendent; Dr. George Koonce, Jr., former Miami-Dade County Public School associate superintendent; Michael Putney, Emmy Award-winning senior political televiONYX MAGAZINE 11
