On Sunday, Sept. 20, the Agora will host the first Greater Cleveland Activism Awards, a community‑focused gala that highlights the faith‑driven service and family‑centered leadership of the city’s most impactful activists. Broadcast journalist Harry Boomer will emcee, and musical performances will feature R&B veteran Q Parker of the ’90s group 112, along with local talents Carlos Jones, the P.L.U.S. Band, and Moises Borges.
Honoring a Legacy of Service
Organizer and TV20 reporter Errol Porter, stepson of civil‑rights legend Fred Gray, explained the selection criteria: longevity, community impact, leadership, sacrifice, and consistent deeds of service. “We wanted to recognize people doing things everyone already knew,” Porter said, noting that many honorees often work quietly, without fanfare.
Keynote and Special Tribute
Fred Gray, renowned attorney who fought alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and represented Rosa Parks, will deliver the keynote address. A special posthumous award will honor Khalid Samad, a longtime activist who founded Peace in the Hood to curb gang violence and served as a prevention and investigative specialist for Cleveland’s Gang Task Force.
Award Recipients
Anita Bradley receives the Health and Recovery Advocacy Award. As former executive director of Compass House Inc., the largest residential substance‑abuse treatment center in Lorain County, Bradley founded the Northern Ohio Recovery Association in 2004 and continues to shape recovery programming. She described the honor as a reminder of her “why,” emphasizing that her work is a ministry of hope and support for those without a voice.
Phyllis “Seven” Harris is the inaugural LGBTQ+ Community Leadership Award recipient. Since 2012, Harris has led the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland, expanding youth, family, and senior programs and relocating the center to Gordon Square in 2019. As a Black lesbian, she highlighted the responsibility of visible leadership and the power of representation for young people seeking role models.
Shereen Naser will accept the Ambassador for Cultural Unity & Justice Award. Naser founded the Cleveland Child and Adolescent Research in Education (CARE) Lab at Cleveland State University and is a prominent voice in the Arab‑American community. She praised the award as a testament to the collective effort of Clevelanders who resist segregation and work toward unity in a politically divided climate.
Future Impact
Proceeds from the gala will fund the new Greater Cleveland Activist Center, a venture Porter hopes will connect seasoned activists with younger leaders, providing training, resources, and collaborative opportunities to amplify community impact.
In addition to the main awards, the event will recognize twenty individuals and organizations with the Weaver Awards, each receiving up to $3,000 to further their grassroots projects. Honorable mentions will be announced in December.
Community Invitation
The awards gala underscores Cleveland’s commitment to faith‑guided service, strong families, and individual liberty. Residents are encouraged to attend, celebrate local heroes, and support the continued growth of activist networks that uphold the city’s moral and civic fabric.
Original reporting: Signal Cleveland — read the source article.
