Six local people, three organizations and a church were recognized Sunday at the 12th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Purpose Driven Acts of Kindness Gala.
The 10 awards covered various public service categories inspired by the slain civil rights leader's life and legacy.
The categories were Education, Spirit, Leadership, Business, Service, Community Involvement, Volunteerism, Justice, Individual and Drum Major.
The winners were Bea Ross for Education, Church on the Rock for Spirit, the Rev. L.B. George for Leadership, Davida High's D21 Dance Company for Business, Pastor Barbara Stoker for Service, BancorpSouth for Community Involvement, the Buffalo Soldiers of Texarkana for Volunteerism, Liberty-Eylau Independent School District Police Officer Charles McDuffie for Justice, Rhonda Dolberry for Individual and Derek Murphy for Drum Major.
Acts of Kindness Education Award: Bea Ross
Bea Ross is an educational specialist with the Talent Search Program at Texarkana College.
"I love serving students, be it for an academic degree or a vocational degree or a technical certification, because education is still the key," she said.
Ross holds a bachelor's degree in sociology and psychology from Henderson State University and a master's degree in guidance and counseling from East Texas State University-Texarkana.
Ross is an active member of the Church of the Living God Temple, as she has been for more than 30 years. She also served as director of Christian Education for more than 25 years. She is also past president of the Top Ladies of Distinction and past YWCA board member.
Acts of Kindness Spirit Award: Church on the Rock
Church on the Rock started in 1976 on Martin Luther King Boulevard and moved to its present location on Interstate 30 in 1985.
"The one thing that unites all of us is the cross of Christ," said Pastor John Miller, who has served the church's pastor for the last 26 years. "Children need to know they are loved and we want to be a voice for racial harmony."
Acts of Kindness Leadership Award: The Rev. L.B. George
The Rev. L.B. George has dedicated himself to serving God for the last 30 years as pastor of the Oak Street Baptist Church in Texarkana, Texas. He is married to Savannah R. George and the father of two children.
George retired from the Texarkana, Texas, Independent School District, where he served as administrative assistant and principal. He is also a past recipient of the Thomas A. Wilbur Award.
George is an active member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. as well as of the Kappa Gamma Lambda Chapter, the Greater Texarkana Branch in the NAACP, Christian Fellowship Union, Bowie Baptist Association, Ozan District Association and president of the Chaplains Association at Wadley Regional Medical Center.
"I just want to say thank you!" George said.
Acts of Kindness Business Award: Davida's D21 Dance Company
The company started in in Wake Village in 1993.
"We make winners-that is what we do!" Davida High, the company's owner said. "You want it we got it."
Acts of Kindness Commitment to Service Award: Pastor Barbara Stoker
Born June 28, 1952, in Birmingham, Ala., Barbara Ann Stoker started working at Cypress Plus Florist and Gifts in 1988, became the owner later that year and operated it for the next 20 years. During that time she has received several awards, including the Dr. Calvin Rolark Business Award from the NAACP and the Madam C.J. Walker Entrepreneurial Award.
Stoker has also pastored her church since 2003, after first serving as an usher, secretary, treasurer and associate pastor of Mount Sinai House of Prayer III.
Under her leadership, the church started developed a food mission for the homeless and a weekly counseling service for church members.
"I'm a servant and I love to serve," she said.
Act of Kindness Community Involvement Award: BancorpSouth
The financial holding company helps families with low and moderate income buy homes.
"We look forward to doing more of this in 2017," one of the company's representatives said.
Acts of Kindness Volunteerism Award: The Buffalo Soldiers of Texarkana
The organization attempts to show the safe side of motorcycling.
"We love to raise funds, we love to serve and we love to donate to others," said Robert Wilson, organizational spokesman.
Acts of Kindness Justice Award: Charles McDuffie
Charles McDuffie attended Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, La., from 1985 to 1987 and he has served as a law enforcement officer since 2005. He currently works as a campus police officer for the Liberty-Eylau Independent School District. He's been married to Lisa McDuffie for the last 25 years, and they have a daughter, Kristin.
Since starting his career, McDuffie has earned the Mental Health Police Officers Certification, Self Defense Instructors Certification and Homeland Security Certification, and he currently serves on Bowie County Child Welfare Board and the Texarkana Teen Court.
"All praise goes to God because I couldn't do it myself," he said.
Acts of Kindness Individual Award: Rhonda Kaye Dolberry
Ronda Kaye Dolberry is retired from the Texas Department of Human Services with more than 20 years employment.
Dolberry is a member of the Miles Chapel Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. She serves as director of Christian Education, Church Conference secretary, Adult Sunday School teacher, treasurer of the Missionary Society, secretary of the Stewardess Board and secretary of the Mass Choir. She also serves as Arts and Crafts secretary for the Arkansas Region Missionary Society.
As a breast cancer survivor, Dolberry participates annually in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and is a past member of the only National African American Breast Cancer Survivorship Organization-Sister's Network Incorporated Texarkana.
Dolberry's community involvement includes serving as a current and past officer and member of several local organizations, which include the NAACP's Miller County branch, Debonaire-Pandora Social and Civic Club, Bible Study Fellowship, the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council's African American Committee and is chairwoman for the committee's book club. She also served as vice president of the Rose Hill Neighborhood Development Association and vice president and co-founder of the nonprofit Scholars Youth Organization dedicated to teaching youth entrepreneurial and life skills.
She has had several poems published in a local community newspaper and has participated in the annual Reader's Theater's Voices of Freedom. Her community awards include the NAACP Miller County Kool Schools Leader Award.
Dolberry currently resides on the Texas side and is the mother of three children and grandmother of eight.
"I'm just an ordinary girl from the ordinary small town of Nashville, Ark." she said. "Thank God for all He has done."
Acts of Kindness Drum Major Award: Derek Murphy
Derek Joaquin Murphy has served most of his life in ministry, starting with his family's singing in church while he was still a child. While growing up, he learned to play the organ, piano and keyboard. By age 14, he helped form a youth choir called the Instruments of Praise and served as its youth music minister and choir director at the Rose Hill Church of God in Christ by age 16. He also helped organize an annual "Back 2 School Workshop."
Murphy has received recognition for his various community services as well as earning the distinguished Wilbur Award for Community Service from Leadership Texarkana in the category of "Work with Youth." He also received the Outstanding Young Man Award from the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.
Entering college, Murphy decided to pursue Bible preaching in April 1999, and by the summer of 2003, he received ordination as an elder in the Texas Northeast Third Jurisdiction of the Church of God in Christ. He then founded the New Generation Church in New Boston, Texas. There he served as pastor for five years.
Currently, Murphy serves as founding pastor and lead teacher of The Kingdom Church and owner of Derek J. Murphy Enterprises. He is also a writer, publishing essays every week on his own website and authoring three books. Through speaking, teaching, training and mentoring, Murphy spiritually serves both local and extended communities.
"I want to give all honor and glory to God and I thank my beautiful wife because she saved me," he said. "I would be lost without her."
