ILLINOIS (WAND) - Illinois' secretary of state has honored multiple people as part of African American Heritage Month.
Jesse White issued three total awards to distinguished people. They were presented to Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Illinois Poet Laureate Angela Jackson, and Apostolic Church of God Pastor Dr. Byron Brazier. Ezike received the Distinguished Leadership Award, Jackson received the Excellence in Arts Award, and Brazier earned the Excellence in Community Service Award.
White also released a video honoring all three award recipients.
“This year, we wanted to honor Dr. Ezike, who has been a source of information, inspiration and comfort to our state during this pandemic,” said White. “We also wanted to celebrate our state’s newest Poet Laureate Angela Jackson, a protégé of Gwendolyn Brooks, as well as Pastor Dr. Brazier, who has helped many people in the community during these difficult times.”
Previous honorees of these awards include blues legend Buddy Guy, baseball hall-of-famer and Chicago Cubs star Ernie Banks, Chicago Bears star Otis Wilson, jazz great Ramsey Lewis, well-known DJ Herb Kent, Grammy-award winning artist Lupe Fiasco, Michelle Williams of Destiny's Child, and Ariel Investments chair and co-CEO John Rogers Jr.
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