The Black Educators Committee, a Freeport-based nonprofit led by its president and Freeport Public Schools educator Vashti Burke, honored the contributions and legacies of nine men during its eighth annual Legends Ball on April 25. In addition to being a welcoming community affair, the event sought to express appreciation for nine “men of distinction.”
The Legends Ball, which was hosted at Verdi’s of Westbury, featured a dinner spread and musical entertainment. The event also served as a way to garner more funds for the Black Educators Committee’s scholarships and programs that seek to improve outcomes for Black students and teachers.
The honored men were Nicolas Ashe, Francis Abel, Reginald Carolina, Jeffrey Johnson, Brock Mayers, Brian Eric Smith, Matthew Swinson, Donald Turner and Gerald Williams, all of which have demonstrated community leadership and service through their work as educators, administrators or other fields.
Carolina, 63, expressed tremendous appreciation for being amongst the award recipients and commended the Black Educators Committee for its own services.
“Educators don’t get the recognition or just do for what we do, so to receive this recognition I am truly honored,” Carolina stated.
Turner, 80, who is a retired band director, said that music has helped him accomplish a lot for his career and community.
“It has always been important to me to make a positive contribution to my community,” Turner told the Herald. “Music has been both an enhancement and an extension of that goal. As a young person, I experienced firsthand, the powerful impact music can have, and I was inspired to pass that same sense of enrichment and fulfillment on to future generations.
Abel, 80, a retired music educator and performer sought to encourage future educators and leaders to embrace service opportunities.
“Just because something bad happens to you doesn’t mean it is not good for you,” Abel said in his advice to future educators. “Develop from the negatives and if things don’t work out, take another shot.”
Johnson, 68, said he hopes to see youth model the qualities that he and his fellow men of distinction recipients exhibit.
“This acknowledgment is appreciated so that hopefully many young men would like to emulate qualities the recipients possess,” Johnson stated. “It also represents that when we speak, our words are proven substantiated by this great recognition.”
