There’s No Place Like Home: NCCJ to Honor Joyce Johnson, Mitchel Sommers, and Kathryn Hubert at the 60th Annual Citation Award Dinner
May 28, 2026
Category: Citation Award Dinner
Tags: Beloved Community Center, Joyce Johnson, Kathryn Hubert, Mitchel Sommers, NCCJ,
The North Carolina For Community and Justice (NCCJ) announces The Beloved Community Center’s Joyce Johnson and Community Theatre of Greensboro former Executive Director Mitchel Sommers as the 60th Annual Citation Award Honorees. In addition to honoring two community leaders with a lifetime body of work in the Triad, NCCJ will recognize Kathryn Hubert, owner of Chez Genese, as the inaugural NCCJ Rising Changemaker. The Citation Award Dinner will take place on Thursday, November 12 at the Koury Convention Center.
This is the diamond anniversary of the dinner which has recognized Triad changemakers since 1964. Ayesha and Ike Olgesby, and their sons Isaiah and Aaron, serve as dinner chairs. This marks the first time an entire family has represented the event.
“Sixty years of honoring those who have positively impacted our community is an impressive legacy,” says Interim Executive Director Kelly Dawson. “This year, we are excited to celebrate two individuals deeply connected to our community through civil rights, racial justice, and equity in the arts. The honorees provide NCCJ an opportunity to have rich conversations about the Triad’s history – and future.”
NCCJ is excited to also acknowledge a mid-career NCCJ Rising Changemaker. Kathryn Hubert is an advocate for disabled workplace integration and models responsible digital citizenship through her social media.
“We recognize the need to uplift those who are engaged in community through the lens of a generation sometimes younger than our traditional honoree focus,” says Dawson.
This year’s dinner theme is “There Is No Place Like Home” in homage to the role all honorees play in creating vibrant, inclusive local community.
NCCJ’s Annual Citation Award Dinner is one of the largest and most diverse nonprofit gatherings in the Triad, bringing together 1000+ community leaders, elected officials, faith leaders, and businesses. Past recent honorees include Betty Cone, Ron Johnson, Patrick Harman, Dr. Henry WB Smith III, Julie Peeples, and others.
NCCJ has helped create more equitable communities for 89 years in the Triad through flagship programs such as the annual Interfaith Tour, the youth leadership summer experience of Anytown, workplace programs, and building community through transformative conversations. Today, NCCJ’s work prioritizes civic health for all ages.
Visit this link to learn more about the dinner and for sponsorship opportunities.
