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There’s No Place Like Home: NCCJ to Honor Joyce Johnson, Mitchel Sommers, and Kathryn Hubert at the 60th Annual Citation Award Dinner

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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
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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.

The Oglesby Family

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.

Kathryn Hubert from Chez Genese and Compass Greensboro as NCCJ’s inaugural Rising Changemaker.

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.

NCCJ Recognizes JEDIs at the 59th Annual Citation Award Dinner

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NCCJ Recognizes JEDIs at the 59th Annual Citation Award Dinner


December 17, 2025
Category: Citation Award Dinner
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NCCJ recognized 12 community leaders during the 59th Annual Citation Award Dinner on November 6th as JEDIs: individuals committed to Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.

JEDIs are peer-nominated individuals who embody JEDI values in their workplace. Featured companies and organizations: City of Greensboro Community Partners and Development Office, Greensboro League of Women (GLOW), Tanger, Martin Luther King Jr. Commission, Guilford Nonprofit Consortium, UNCG, D-UP, Pinnacle Financial Partners, Lincoln Financial, ARCH MI, and Womble Bond Dickinson.

NCCJ is honored to celebrate and uplift those in our community who are fostering extraordinary change.

 

 

 

 

Eighteen Years at NCCJ: Why This Work Matters

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Eighteen Years at NCCJ: Why This Work Matters


December 12, 2025
Category: Perspectives
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In March 2008, I walked away from corporate America to join NCCJ’s team.

I was a new mother, and as I looked at my child, the abstract values of justice and fairness suddenly became urgent necessities. I realized I needed to be an active part of making my community compassionate, not just for some of us— but for all of us.

That realization brought me to NCCJ.

Over the last 18 years, I have seen our country undergo a profound reckoning. I have witnessed an awakening of kindness and a desire to confront our past. But I have also watched our country become bitterly divided once again.

Last spring, I participated in our new Origins: Stories of American Democracy + Civil Rights program. I didn’t go as a staff member; I went as a participant. The experience was life changing.

It forced me to confront the legacy of my ancestors—Mayflower passengers and colonial settlers—and the impact they had on the Indigenous people they displaced. It sparked realizations I thought I had already made peace with. I realized that my family history carried more weight than I assumed, and it pushed me to summon the courage to have better, more genuine, difficult-but-necessary conversations with those affected by that history.

If NCCJ can still challenge and change me after 18 years, imagine what it can do for someone just starting their journey.

NCCJ does more than impact a community; it gives people extraordinary opportunities for self-reflection, personal transformation, and community building:

  • 2,300+ students have graduated from our flagship Anytown
  • Newer programs like STARR (Students Talking About Race + Racism) are helping youth navigate complex modern issues.
  • We are convening respectful, open dialogue in a time when that feels increasingly rare.

As we begin the countdown to our 90th anniversary, I am struck by our legacy. We have evolved from interfaith cooperation to tackling issues of race, gender, and nationality, but we have never wavered from the belief that all people deserve to be seen, heard, and respected.

Our work is made possibly by deep community commitment from funders, donors, volunteers, and so many others. Together, we will continue to build a community that strives for rightness, fairness, and compassion—today, tomorrow, and for another 90 years.

 

Meet our 2025 Honorees

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Meet our 2025 Honorees


July 29, 2025
Category: Citation Award Dinner
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NCCJ will honor change-makers Jakki Davis and Ronald P. Johnson during the 59th annual Citation Award Dinner on Thursday, November 6, co-chaired by Rev Dr. Frank Thomas and Mary Poytner Thomas and Aaron Strasser and Jen Strasser.

“Jakki and Ron represent dedicated community activism and engagement,” says NCCJ President and CEO Jennifer Ruppe. “They each provide a unique and meaningful model of social change.”

This year, NCCJ is focusing on belonging and continuing to advocate for equitable communities for all — not just some.

“We value what NCCJ brings to our community. We believe that a community is stronger and better when everyone has a seat at the table,” shares co-chairs Aaron and Jen Strasser. 

Both honorees have built longer and stronger tables through their activism, organizing, and philanthropy.

Rev. Dr. Frank Thomas and Mary Poytner Thomas say that “we believe in the freedom of all to make their own decisions and fully support NCCJ’s role in empowering people to use their voice…to speak up and speak out for themselves.”

Jakki and Ron’s work have empowered families, those living with HIV, and others across the Triad. 

ABOUT OUR HONOREES

Jakki Davis was nominated based on her 30 years of community activism, including founding D-UP in High Point that provides programs and services with emphasis on physical activity, nutrition, academics, life, and soft skills for youth and their families.  In 2024, the High Point Chamber of Commerce nominated Jakki as the Businesswoman of the Year. Also in 2024, the High Point Human Relations Committee honored her with the Humanitarian Award for the work for the work of D-UP and for her advocacy around local schools and causes such as food security. In addition, she was noted for her contributions for redevelopment efforts in the Washington Street neighborhood. Jakki serves on the board of the Greater High Point Food Alliance and Shift_ED. She is the President of the Washington Street Community Association.

 

Ronald P. Johson is lawyer known as “Ron” in the Triad. He is regarded in Guilford County and throughout the state for his diligent work ethic and generosity to many local and national civic groups and charities. He is particularly active in the areas of LGBTQIA+ rights, AIDS education, women’s issues, and hospice care for the terminally ill. Triad Health Project’s annual Ron Johnson Red Ribbon campaign in December commemorates World AIDS Day (December 1) and is in honor of Ron’s contributions to the organization. In 2025, Ron received an Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award from Governor Stein. He currently practices at Carruthers & Roth, P.A. law firm in Greensboro.

Both nominees represent a strong commitment to activism and creating communities of belonging.

ABOUT THE CITATION AWARD DINNER

The Citation Award Dinner is the Triad’s largest annual event dedicated to diversity and inclusion. It is also NCCJ’s biggest community program and fundraiser.

The 2025 Citation Award Dinner will be held in-person and virtually on Thursday, November 6. The event will be held at the Koury Convention Center in Greensboro. Doors to the Guilford Ballroom will open at 5:30 p.m. for the reception, and with the dinner and program taking place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Reserve your tickets or become a sponsor here. 

What Belonging Means To Me

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What Belonging Means To Me


June 30, 2025
Category: Perspectives
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NCCJ Board Member Tina Firesheets shares her story about belonging. 

I was in second grade when my grandfather told me to go back to where I came from.

Bewildered, I ran from the house, blind with tears. My father found me nearby, sobbing. I was hurt and angry, and didn’t understand how this hateful old man could be so cruel. My parents had just separated, and my father and I moved to rural Western North Carolina to live with my grandparents. My mother, who was Japanese, returned to Japan.  

My father, an Appalachian native, whose family was most likely Scotch-Irish met my mother at a military base in Japan during the Vietnam War. My parents adopted me from Korea when I was about a year old. I had always known that I was adopted and that I was different even within my own family.  

My grandfather’s words hurt me because the message was clear: I didn’t belong. I didn’t belong in this country, and I didn’t belong in his family.  

Throughout my life, I have been drawn to those who also felt that they didn’t belong. Whether it was because of their race, class, sexuality or way of thinking. I eventually developed a close relationship with my grandparents, and even helped care for my grandfather following a series of strokes near the end of his life. Although I was exposed to racism early on, I also learned that when we get to know people — when we peel back the layers of who they are — we can understand them better. We learn what’s behind their actions or the way that they think. We learn that relationships, especially within our families, are complex.  

 As a journalist, I was compelled to tell the stories of immigrants, refugees, those who were unhoused, differently abled, poor or misunderstood. I never stopped identifying with those who might have felt that they didn’t belong.  

It was also as a journalist that I became aware of NCCJ and its mission. I got to experience Anytown and witnessed firsthand how transformative it can be. The power of coming together, learning from each other across differences and realizing that we have more in common than we might think is life altering. 

 We are in a time when many in our communities are afraid. There are many in our communities who feel unwanted, unsafe and uncertain about what the future holds for them. NCCJ — its mission and programs are more important than ever.  

 My father told my grandfather to never say those words to me again. And he never did.  

When we stand up for one another and when we stand together to support each other — when we make space in our hearts and in our communities for all who live among us — we create a community where everyone feels like they belong.         

NCCJ