NCCJ 57th Citation Award Dinner

L-R: Robert and Leslie Dunne Ketner, dinner chairs, NCCJ Citation Award honorees, Dr. Patrick Harman and Mae Douglas, NCCJ Board Chair Jennifer Martineau and NCCJ Executive Director Ivan Canada. Photo by Ivan Saul Cutler/Carolina Peacemaker.

North Carolina for Community Justice (NCCJ) honored community leaders Mae Douglas and Dr. Patrick Harman with the Brotherhood/Sisterhood Citation Award at its 57th annual Citation Award Dinner on November 8 at the Koury Convention Center. This year’s awards banquet was chaired by NCCJ Board members Leslie Dunne Ketner and Robert C. Ketner.

“We have so much to celebrate tonight. Your presence signifies being a catalyst for social change. We know that our differences don’t have to divide us,” said Ivan Canada, NCCJ Executive Director. “To move forward, we must learn to get comfortable having uncomfortable conversations.

This is also Canada’s last year as executive director, after nearly 15 years with the organization – first as a board member and then as executive director. He will leave his position in mid-January 2024 to join the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits as its president and CEO.

Greensboro native Mae Douglas was honored for her lifelong advocacy for racial and social justice. After a 37-year career as a corporate business leader and human resources executive in Atlanta, Ga., Douglas retired and returned to Greensboro, where she invested her time, talents and resources as a volunteer, mentor and philanthropist. She is dedicated to advancing policy and systemic changes to achieve full equity and accessibility in education, health care, business development, and more. Mae currently serves with organizations such as Cone Health, The Cone Health Foundation, UNC-Greensboro, and the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro. She previously served with several others, including NCCJ. Most recently, she played a key role in establishing the Black Investments in Greensboro (BIG) Equity Fund, a permanent endowment with a vision to transform the well-being of Greensboro’s Black communities.

Douglas has been honored many times for her work in the Triad, including the 2020 Athena Award by the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce; the 2022 Outstanding Greensboro Philanthropist by the Association of Fundraising Professionals – N.C. Triad Chapter; the 2022 Thomas Z. Osborne Distinguished Citizen Award by the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce, and the 2023 Black Business Ink Power 100 Award.

“I made a decision to live a life of service driven by my family values of sharing what I have with others; my faith to support the least of these; and my personal values of love and justice and generosity,” said Douglas.

Dr. Patrick Harman was recognized for his philanthropic and social change work to improve the quality of life for all people in his hometown of High Point. For more than 20 years, he has leveraged his Hayden-Harman Foundation to bring revitalization efforts to the Washington Street area, High Point’s historic Black Main Street, through commercial and residential building renovation, business and economic development, youth education and leadership initiatives. He founded Growing High Point to address healthy food access through comprehensive and sustainable food systems through the creation of urban farms, a food hub and a mobile grocery store. His honors include the 2014 Esther Award from the Welfare Reform Liaison Project and a 2015 Fulbright award.

“Doing good and doing right is not about you, it’s about everyone else,” said Harmon.

The organization’s largest community and fundraising program celebrated community members and its social justice programs for youth. NCCJ also recognized other leaders and organizations of social change and diversity in small segments called DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) Spotlights.
This year also celebrated 35 years of Anytown, NCCJ’s youth leadership development program. Since 1987, the program has graduated 3,000 alumni – former high school teens who participated in the summer camp.

“More than ever, our young people need experiences like Anytown,” said Canada.

NCCJ Board of Directors announced that it raised more than $370,000 this year. For more information on the endeavors of NCCJ visit: https://www.nccjtriad.org/.