Returning black alumni gathered in The Inn at Ole Miss ballroom Saturday evening for the 2022 Black Alumni Reunion’s Black Alumni Awards Gala. The sold-out event was preceded by champagne hour and immediately followed by an “Old Skool Jam” event. The evening was marked by fellowship, high spirits and celebration.
The presentation of awards began just after 8 p.m. Six awards, including the new Jackie Certion Guiding Light Award and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award, were given to ten honorees.
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award was awarded to Eric Brown and Ryan Upshaw. Recipients of this award have shown a commitment to removing barriers and promoting justice and fairness.
The Celebrated Athletics Award was awarded to Derrick Horne and Jamil Northcutt.
This award recognizes former Ole Miss student-athletes or coaches for success in the field of athletics after their tenure at the university.
The Alumni Achievement Award was awarded to Dexter McCain and Sunesia Williams. This award recognizes Ole Miss alumni for exceptional achievement in their chosen professional field. This award acknowledges the entrepreneurial spirit, corporate prowess and dedication to succeed exemplified by alumni or former students.
The Dr. Jeanette Jennings “Trailblazer” Award was awarded to James Hull.
This award recognizes Ole Miss alumni who served a vital role in the progress of black faculty, staff, alumni and/or students on the Ole Miss campus. Jeanette Jennings came to UM in 1970 as the university’s first black faculty member.
The Rev. Wayne Johnson Community and Civic Award was awarded to Ravyn Hampton and Herman Hicks.
This award recognizes exceptional service by Ole Miss alumni through commitment to their community in a civic, ministerial or volunteer capacity. An Oxford native, Rev. Wayne Johnson was instrumental in founding the Oxford Development Association.
Jackie Certion Guiding Light Award was awarded to Morgan Taylor Jones and John Cochran.
This new award is awarded to two University of Mississippi alumni who are current or retired teachers, administrators or advisors at a primary or secondary institution. This honoree should exemplify an extraordinary commitment to their students and community and strives to go above and beyond for the advancement of all students. Named for Jackie Certion, a beloved administrator who passed in late 2020, this is the first year this award has been given.
Martina McCrory, an attendee at Saturday night’s event, knows what difference a UM faculty and staff can make in your life. She found her way to UM after being introduced to Donald Cole — a 2018 BAR awards gala honoree and celebrated Associate Professor emeritus — who offered her a full scholarship that was unclaimed.
“Within a week I was accepted,” McCrory said. “I came here and completed my doctorate in chemistry — I was the first African-American woman to get a doctorate in the chemistry department here at Ole Miss.”
Now living in Connecticut, McCrory has found she doesn’t have the same kind of platform, which is why she returned for the reunion.
“To come here, it feels like being home,” she said.
Nikitia Forest is a member of the Ole Miss class of 1994. She was a member of the Black Student Union, the Pre-Law Society and the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. She is currently a teacher in Maryland and, like McCrory, describes the university as a missing piece in her life that she loves to return to.
“Ole Miss and the Black Alumni reunion is like coming home,” she said. “Returning to Ole Miss and seeing the people that I used to know and love so dearly is like a piece of me coming back.”
The 2022 Black Alumni Reunion is the first one in four years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is also one of the largest ever with over 600 attendees.
“It’s a chance to reconnect. It’s a chance to stay connected, to network,” Forest said. “Enjoy each other’s children and to continue to love and grow and love Ole Miss like we’ve always done.”
