David Dunn and Tyra Hawthorne received the award at 38th annual event presented by Jackie Robinson Family YMCA
He’s a high school football coach who refused to play a game to peacefully protest a racist incident and last year led his team to its first divisional title in 26 years. She’s the founder of a performing arts academy that uses a marching band program to instill confidence in young students. Both were honored Friday for exemplifying the best of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The event featured several musical performances and a keynote speech by Miles McPherson, a former defensive back for the San Diego Chargers who became a pastor and founded The Rock Church after a drug addiction. “I didn’t come from a family with a lot of money,” she said. “So, I knew if I wanted to go off to college, I had to find a way to pay for it.”
While at Grambling, Hawthorne got the chance to be part of “Drumline,” a movie that introduced the culture to a generation of Americans in 2002. Hawthorne says it was when she began to take responsibility for the drumline that she began to feel the pressure, but after growing up under the YMCA’s mentorship, receiving the award feels like the light at the end of the tunnel.
“Sports is just an avenue to get them to trust ,” he said. “Our football program has maintained a 3.1 GPA … and it’s given them way more college opportunities, whether it’s a scholarship in football or just academically getting accepted into college.”
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