Party Line: Freedom rings at Civil Rights Museum's Freedom Awards

Photos by Isaac Singleton Sr./Special to The Commercial Appeal

Grammy Award-winner Usher (left) was the Philanthropy Legacy honoree at the National Civil Rights Museum Freedom Awards. With him are the evening's emcee, Wendy Raquel Robinson, and her husband, Marco Perkins.

This year's star-studded Freedom Awards ceremony to benefit the National Civil Rights Museum was a success, said Beverly Robertson, the museum's executive director.

The recent event at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, which featured 19 honorees, including Usher, Danny Glover, Cicely Tyson and Hill Harper, was "the biggest one yet," Beverly said. "There were ... more than 2,000 people in attendance, 45 new table sponsors from across the country and a red carpet that rivals the Oscars."

Also honored were Marva Collins, Kirk Whalum, Bill Russell, Alonzo Mourning, Dr. Bill Frist, Susan L. Taylor, the NAACP, Southern Poverty Law Center and icons of the American Civil Rights movement Rev. C.T. Vivian, John Seigenthaler, Dolores Huerta, Leola Brown Montgomery, Rev. James Lawson, Rev. Samuel Billy Kyles and Rev. Ed King.

"The Freedom Award provides a way to acknowledge the tremendous courage and tenacity of those in the arenas of civil and human rights who endured threats, oppression, discrimination and alienation to stand for a cause bigger than themselves," Beverly said. "Through standing, many were able to drive change and secure positive outcomes for a cause, a people, a community or a nation.

"By presenting pertinent information about these honorees, others may be inspired to act in ways that transform the world in which we live."

The event also celebrated the 20th anniversary of the National Civil Rights Museum. "This was a great way to end the first two decades of the museum's existence, but I can assure you the best is yet to come," Beverly said.

Partygoers get prepared

Guests at The Boa Ball, a fundraiser for The Mid-South Chapter of the American Red Cross, were familiar with food stations, bars and silent auctions, but many of them probably never encountered "Prepare, Prevent and Respond" stations at a party.

Guests at Saturday night's party at One Commerce Square took part in a Red Cross trivia challenge, took a quiz on how to respond to disasters such as tornados, floods and fires and were instructed on how to conduct "compression only" CPR (just pressing on the chest; no mouth-to-mouth breathing), said Alice Higdon, who co-chaired the event with Catherine Harris.

The evening also included food, drink and silent auction items, which ranged from "A" for an abstract art painting by Adam Exelbierd to "V" for a vasectomy courtesy of the Shappley Clinic. Other items included restaurant certificates and tickets to the Memphis Zoo and University of Memphis Tigers basketball games.

Music for shaking shoulders draped with colorful boas was provided by The Super 5 band.

John Bryant from WMC-TV Channel 5 was emcee. Don Stephens is the Mid-South chapter Red Cross president.

Memphis Star vocalists

Austin Carroll was the winner in the Adult Finalists category, and Chandler Booth was the winner in the Junior Finalists category at the 2011 Memphis Star vocal competition Thursday night at the Rose Theatre at the University of Memphis. The event benefits Gift of Life Midsouth.

Also competing in the adult category were Megan McDivitt, Kathi-Lea Thompson, Teresa Willis, Megan Cici, Kacie Long, Elizabeth Ashley Starnes and Julie Weiss. Contestants in the junior category included Savannah Cici, Victoria Holmes and Jaime Merina Muilwyk.

Gift of Life Midsouth partners with Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center to provide critical heart surgeries to children from Third World countries who don't have access to proper medical care in their countries.

Tracy Chism is Gift of Life board chairwoman, and Cary Vaughn is vice-chairwoman. Shaun Lloyd and Frankie Glenn from Inner 61 performed.

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