Shirley Edgerton
Shirley Edgerton is an Educator, DEI Practitioner, and Community Activist. She graduated from Herbert Lehman College, where she earned a B.A., and completed an M.Ed. from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.
Mrs. Edgerton retired from the Department of Developmental Services after twenty -one years of service. She then served as the first Cultural Proficiency Coach for Pittsfield Public Schools.
In 2010, Mrs. Edgerton launched the Rites of Passage and Empowerment program, a proven mentoring program for young people of color identifying as female or non-binary. This holistic organization provides college tours throughout the U.S. When not touring, the scholars travel to West Africa to participate in service learning projects.
Mrs. Edgerton has received numerous awards, as well as two honorary Doctorate degrees, for her outstanding service to youth and the community.
Ancestors’ Legacy Award (Past)
Honors elders and trailblazers whose sacrifices, wisdom, and leadership laid the groundwork for today’s Black community strength.
Dennis Powell
(NAACP)
Proud father of five children and grandfather of four. Class of 1963 PH. Culinary Institute of America, 1968. Veteran US Army, President, NAACP Berkshire County Branch since 2015, Co-Chair Freedom Fund Committee, Executive Committee, New England Area Conference (NEAC) NAACP. Past Chair of the W.E.B. Du Bois Freedom Center, I serve on the Pittsfield Licensing Board, the Greylock Community Development Advisory Board, and the Railroad Street Youth Project Board. In 2025, received Honorary Doctor of Public Service, 2021 lifetime Achievement award – Berkshire Nonprofit, 2020 Black Excellence on The Hill Award ~ Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus: Executive spotlight Series ~ Berkshire Eagle, 2018 “Berkshire 25” (Most Dedicated, Most Creative, Most Influential Person) ~Berkshire Magazine, 1990’s Outstanding Volunteer Award ~ Berkshire Center for Families and Children, Named Pittsfield’s Most Valuable Person (MVP); 1977 Culinary team member winning five gold medals at the International Culinary Competition in Basel, Switzerland; and received the Diploma of Honor from the Société Culinaire Philanthropique; 1973, received the Culinary Teachers Association ~ Recognition Award.
Pillars of the Community Award (Past & Present)
Recognizes individuals who have consistently shown up—quietly or boldly—providing stability, guidance, and care across generations.
Wanda Houston
Wanda L. Houston has lived and performed professionally throughout the U.S., Europe, Australia, on Broadway stages, in films, recordings, and on television. She has worked in varying capacities with Michael Jackson, Barbara Streisand, John Tuturro, Eddie Izzard, Natalie Cole, Eartha Kitt, Patti LaBelle, and Sam Harris on the stages of Pasadena Playhouse, Universal Studios, Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden & Carnegie Hall. Living and working on the East Coast has connected her with even more talented musicians, producers, and directors who share her joy in the power of the arts, music, and its effect on the hearts and minds of those who take the time to listen. For more info, visit WandaWorld.biz
Living Legend Award
This award celebrates a legacy still in motion—one that continues to uplift, mentor, and amplify Black voices through art, leadership, and example.
Sherrie Bethel
is a local poet and has been a core collaborator with the Celebration of Black Voices since its inception. She has been foundational in several CBV programs including the CBV Gospel Choir, Devised Theater, and Poetry Slam.
Celebration of Black Voices All-Star Award
This honoree has consistently shared their story, their talent, and their heart—helping shape the spirit and soul of the Celebration of Black Voices Festival.
John Bissell
(Greylock Federal Credit Union)
John Bissell is the president & CEO of Greylock Federal Credit Union. Alongside Julianne Boyd, he is a co-founder of Berkshire Underground. Bissell was named CEO of the Year in 2019 by the Cooperative Credit Union Association.
Allyship in Action Award
This award recognizes an individual who uses their influence, access, and resources to actively support and uplift communities of color.
Dr. Frances Jones Sneed
Dr. Frances Jones-Sneed is Professor Emeritus of History at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA). A scholar, writer, and civil rights activist, her academic work centers on the African American experience in rural and small-town America, with a dual focus on the Deep South and the Berkshires of western Massachusetts.
She is co-editor of African American Heritage in the Upper Housatonic Valley, a landmark publication that documents Black history across Berkshire County and Northwestern Connecticut. Dr. Jones-Sneed has directed and co-directed multiple National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) summer institutes, including “The New Negro Renaissance” and “W.E.B. Du Bois and the Role of Place.” She is also the founding director of the Berkshire Black History Project, a long-running effort to recover and preserve the region’s overlooked Black heritage.
Dr. Jones-Sneed has spent her career amplifying stories at the intersection of race, memory, and place—especially those of Black women, freedom seekers, educators, and community builders. Her research and public humanities work have been recognized by Mass Humanities, the National Park Service, and local cultural institutions across New England.
She is currently at work on two major writing projects: a memoir chronicling her life from Mississippi to Massachusetts during the Civil Rights era, and a regional history titled Stories About Blacks in the Berkshires, which integrates archival sources, oral histories, and community memory.
Culture Keeper Award
Recognizes those preserving, teaching, and advancing Black culture, history, art, and traditions for current and future generations.
Rising Changemaker Award
Highlights an emerging leader showing exceptional promise, vision, and commitment to shaping the community’s future.
John Lewis
John Lewis is the founder and CEO of R3SET Enterprises, working to pioneer equitable resource distribution models for disenfranchised communities and revolutionizing the way commerce, governance, and social equity intersect.
Dream Forward Award
Recognizes a visionary whose ideas, innovation, and courage are building pathways for Black excellence, sustainability, and freedom.
HONORING THE WORK | BUILDING THE FUTURE
