{"id":46814,"date":"2015-02-08T14:00:33","date_gmt":"2015-02-08T20:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.olemiss.edu\/?p=46814"},"modified":"2015-02-06T10:28:02","modified_gmt":"2015-02-06T16:28:02","slug":"lift-every-voice-awards-presented-um-black-history-month-kickoff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web20.olemiss.edu\/news\/wordpress\/lift-every-voice-awards-presented-um-black-history-month-kickoff\/","title":{"rendered":"Lift Every Voice Awards Presented at UM Black History Month Kickoff"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Shawnboda Mead (center) congratulates Lift Every Voice Award honorees Brandi Hephner LaBanc and Jennifer Stollman. Photo by Mary Knight.<\/p><\/div>\n

“Lift Every Voice” is traditionally known as the Negro national anthem, but the song title is also the name of an annual award presented at the University of Mississippi.<\/span><\/p>\n

Four UM employees received this year’s “Lift Every Voice” award Feb. 3 during UM’s Black History Month kickoff celebration in the Ole Miss Student Union. Honored were Joseph Ward, chair and professor of history; Brandi Hephner LaBanc, vice chancellor for student affairs; Jennifer Stollman, academic director for the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation; and Kirk Johnson, associate professor of African-American studies.<\/span><\/p>\n

“The Black Faculty and Staff Organization of the University of Mississippi founded the ‘Lift Every Voice’ award to recognize an individual, group or entity that has contributed to the betterment of human relationships on our campus,” said Shawnboda Mead, director of UM’s Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement. “Particular emphasis is given to the areas of diversity, multiculturalism and inclusion. Recipients of this award have worked beyond their normal employment boundaries and performed the ‘extra mile’ of service to their fellow man for the university.”<\/span><\/p>\n