- 12th annual program recognizes African American leaders and
their contributions to the Commonwealth
- Honorees include a Navy Commanding Officer, NASA Project
Director, Sheriff, and Dentist
- Four high school student finalists of creative contest also
recognized
RICHMOND, Va., Feb. 26,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Dominion Energy Charitable
Foundation and the Library of Virginia are pleased to announce the
2024 Strong Men & Women in Virginia History honorees and
Student Creative Expressions Contest finalists.
This annual program recognizes notable African American business
and community leaders who have overcome obstacles to make
significant impacts across the state.
"We are proud to honor changemakers whose efforts have
strengthened their communities for generations to come,"
said Bill Murray, Senior Vice President for Corporate Affairs
and Communications at Dominion Energy. "The Strong Men & Women
in Virginia History honorees serve as role models for helping every
community to thrive."
Members of the armed forces, engineers, medical professionals,
community leaders, educators, writers, judges, and elected
officials have been celebrated throughout the program's
history.
"The Library of Virginia is proud to recognize African Americans
who have made significant contributions in their respective fields
and in the lives of citizens of the Commonwealth," said
Librarian of Virginia Dennis T.
Clark. "This year's honorees offer powerful success stories
that reflect rich legacies of excellence."
The 2024 honorees:
Captain Janet H.
Days
Navy Commanding Officer, Norfolk
R. Tyrone Foster
Sheriff, Bristol
Dr. Erma L. Freeman
Dentist, Mecklenburg
Gregory L. Robinson
NASA Project Director, Manassas
The leaders were celebrated at a reception and private dinner on
Thursday in Richmond. Each honoree
was provided the opportunity to choose a nonprofit to receive a
$5,000 grant from the Dominion Energy
Charitable Foundation. Along with the event, the Library of
Virginia will host a traveling exhibition featuring each of the
honorees and their biographical information. The exhibition will be
on display at various community, business, and educational
institutions throughout the year so that Virginians can learn about
these outstanding leaders and their contributions to the
Commonwealth.
In 2013, Strong Men & Women in Virginia History was born
when the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation and the Library of
Virginia began a new educational initiative that merged two
phenomenal Black History Month programs: Dominion Energy's
22-year-old series, Strong Men & Women: Excellence in
Leadership and the Library of Virginia's eight-year-old program,
African American Trailblazers in Virginia History.
As part of the initiative, Virginia high school students can
participate in a creative contest to honor outstanding African
Americans and share stories they feel may be missing from the
mainstream narrative.
The 2024 Student Creative Expressions Contest finalists:
Bezawit Abate
Potomac Senior High School, Prince
William County
Justin Kidd
Jones
Richmond Community High School, Richmond
Katelyn Luu
Cosby High School, Chesterfield County
Angelina Nair
Grafton High School, York County
The winner of the student creative contest was Katelyn Luu from Cosby
High School who wrote about Udine
Smith Moore, known as "Dean of Black Women Composers."
In honor of her efforts, Katelyn's school received $2,000.
Each student received an Apple MacBook Air laptop and money for
their school.
For more information on Strong Men & Women in Virginia
History, photos and full honoree biographical information, go to:
Strong Men & Women in Virginia History - Library of Virginia
Education.
About the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation
About 7 million customers in 15 states energize their homes and
businesses with electricity or natural gas from Dominion Energy
(NYSE: D). Through its Dominion Energy Charitable
Foundation as well as EnergyShare and other programs, Dominion
Energy contributed $46.7 million in
2023 to community causes. The Foundation supports nonprofit causes
that meet basic human needs, protect the environment, promote
education, and encourage community vitality. Please
visit www.DominionEnergy.com to learn more.
About the Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia is the state's oldest institution
dedicated to the preservation of Virginia's history and culture.
Our online offerings attract nearly 4 million website visits per
year, and our resources, exhibitions and events bring in nearly
100,000 visitors each year. The Library's collections, containing
more than 130 million items, document and illustrate the lives of
both famous Virginians and ordinary citizens. The Library is
located in downtown Richmond near
Capitol Square at 800 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219. Learn more at
www.lva.virginia.gov.
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SOURCE Dominion Energy
