The 2026 Evening Celebration
Welcome – Rick Trietley, President, Viterbo University
Warm-up Music– The Mayfield Experience
Invocation– Shaundel Washington Spivey
Opening Remarks – Tracy Littlejohn, Evening’s Host
The Lynda Blackmon Lowery Youth Leadership Award
Presented to: Amaya Emler, Central High School
Presented by: Quartell Roberson
The William "Bill" Coleman College Leadership Award
Presented to: Courtney Chambers, Western Technical College
Presented by: The William “Bill” Coleman Family
The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 2026 Leadership Award
Presented to: Vincent Hamilton
Presented by: Henry Greengrass
St. Francis Prayer performed by Viterbo University Concert Choir
Composed by: Margaret Bonds (1913 – 1972)
Director: Dr. Machael Sauer
Piano: Judy Stafslien
Keynote Address: Rev. Adam Russell Taylor, president of Sojourners, and author of A More Perfect Union: A New Vision for Building the Beloved Community
Closing Remarks
Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing
Soloists: Estelle Harris-Eyo (age 8) and Emira Harris-Eyo (age 7)
Call to Action
Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing
Words by James Weldon Johnson
Music by John Rosemond Johnson
- Lift ev’ry voice and sing
Till earth and heaven ring
Ring with the harmonies of liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the list’ning skies
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us.
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on till victory is won.
- Stony the road we trod,
Bitter the chast’ning rod,
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
Yet with a steady beat,
Have not our weary feet
Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?
We have come over a way that with tears has been watered.
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered,
Out from the gloomy past,
Till now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.
- God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears,
Thou who has brought us thus far on the way;
Thou who has by Thy might; led us into the light
Keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee,
Lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee.
Shadowed beneath, thy hand, may we forever stand,
True to our God, true to our native land.
Bios
Rev. Adam Russell Taylor is president of Sojourners and author of A More Perfect Union: A New Vision for Building the Beloved Community. Taylor previously led the Faith Initiative at the World Bank Group and served as the vice president in charge of advocacy at World Vision U.S. and the senior political director at Sojourners. He has also served as the executive director of Global Justice, an organization that educates and mobilizes students around global human rights and economic justice. He was selected for the 2009/2010 class of White House Fellows and served in the White House Office of Cabinet Affairs and Public Engagement. Taylor is a graduate of Emory University, the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government, and the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology. Taylor also serves on the Independent Sector Board, the Global Advisory Board of Tearfund UK, and is a member of the inaugural class of the Aspen Institute Civil Society Fellowship. Taylor is ordained in the American Baptist Church and the Progressive National Baptist Convention and serves in ministry at the Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Va.
Amaya Emler, 10th grade, Central High School
Amaya Emler is a young leader at Central High School whose compassion and courage reflect a deep commitment to her education, justice, equity, and community. As an active member of her school community, she works to foster inclusion. Beyond school, Emler serves as a mentor with the Ujima Circles program, where she empowers younger students through conversations about identity, leadership, and pride, becoming a trusted role model and big-sister figure.
Her dedication to service extends to the broader community through three summers with BLACK's (Black Leaders Acquiring Collective Knowledge) youth summer programming, where she contributed to initiatives focused on food access, financial literacy, and global health equity. Whether mentoring, volunteering, or quietly leading by example, Amaya inspires peers and younger students alike through consistent action, kindness, and a genuine desire to uplift others. Emler plans to pursue a career in law or social work to continue advocating for her communities. She embodies the values of the Lynda Lowery Award by building bridges, creating opportunities, and making meaningful change one act of service at a time.
Courtney Chambers, Western Technical College
Courtney Chamber is deeply committed to advancing social justice and equity within both educational and community settings. As a Student Employee at Western’s Student Place of Action, Culture, and Empowerment (SPACE), she has supported programming that celebrates diversity and fosters inclusion. In her role, she is a mentor and advocate for students of color, helping them navigate challenges and amplify their voices.
Chamber's leadership extends through involvement in Student Government and service as a former WTCS Ambassador, where she worked to empower students to advocate for meaningful change at local and national levels. For her, social justice means creating environments where every individual has a fair opportunity to succeed. An example of this on campus includes cultivating spaces where diverse identities are celebrated, not erased. In the community, she translates these values into action by mentoring, volunteering, and advocating for resources that enable all people to thrive—not just survive.
Vincent Glenn Hamilton is a native of Rutherfordton, North Carolina, a town known for its rich history and close-knit community. As a young boy, he attended a southern segregated school that was later integrated. During this period, he experienced firsthand the tensions and challenges of school integration amid the civil rights movement, such as navigating new friendships and confronting prejudice. But because of his parents' upbringing, he was taught not to let adversity stop him and to find a way to see the best in everyone by bringing people together and fostering understanding. Basketball became his passion, and not long after discovering the sport, he was recognized as both team captain and MVP at R-S Central High School.
In 1979, he led the school to its first state title with a 32-0 record, a record that remains today the best record in the state’s history. A milestone that later would hit the screen in the movie name 32-0. He earned a scholarship from Clemson University, where he became team captain. Hamilton became one of the finest all-around men's basketball players in Clemson history. He was named Clemson University Athlete of the year in 1995 and was also inducted into the RCS Hall of Fame. He is a member of the prestigious RACC All Legends Team, the 1981 FIBA World Cup Championship Team, and member of the 1981 USA Basketball National Olympics Silver Medal-winning team.
An education graduate from Clemson University, Hamilton was selected as a draft choice by the NBA's Indiana Pacers before going on to play professionally for nine seasons with the CBA's La Crosse Catbirds, La Crosse Bobcats, and WBL Memphis Rockers. He became the league's all-time leader in several statistical categories, including games played, points scored, and assists. He was a member of the La Crosse Catbirds team that won the CBA Championship in 1990 and 1992. Early in his career, he gained a following among fans of all ages, especially youth, becoming a regional role model for his dedication and teamwork both on the court and through his outreach efforts. Through basketball clinics and school visits, he inspired young people to value teamwork and perseverance. He was a very accessible star who managed to maintain a princely mystique, often appearing as "Vince 'The Prince.'"
Off the court, he launched two impactful outreach initiatives—“Do What’s Right,” which provides mentorship workshops that help local youth build confidence, develop leadership skills, and set positive personal goals, and “Don’t Do Drugs,” a campaign that organizes school visits and community awareness events to educate students about the dangers of substance abuse and promote healthy lifestyle choices. Both programs are designed to support and empower local youth, foster community well-being, and inspire others to contribute to positive change by prioritizing service and personal growth within their own communities. Through these programs, Hamilton provided mentorship and drug prevention education, partnering closely with area DARE programs to reinforce positive choices.
Over the years, these efforts reached thousands of young people, many of whom credited the mentorship for helping them stay in school and avoid negative influences. The programs received recognition from local community leaders for their impact, including a Community Service Award in 1997. Notably, several participants went on to become peer mentors themselves, further extending Hamilton’s positive influence in the region. After his professional basketball career, Vince Hamilton pursued business, coaching, and mentoring. He spearheaded and negotiated the relocation of the CBA Chicago Rockers to La Crosse, WI (later named the La Crosse Bobcats), where he served as Community and Basketball Operations Director. He also worked as a coach at the University of La Crosse, Wisconsin.
Hamilton has served as a volunteer coach for the YMCA for over thirty years. He has helped develop many regional elementary, middle, and high school players who later became successful student-athletes and productive leaders in their communities. Several of his former players have gone on to earn college scholarships and compete at the national level, highlighting the lasting impact and effectiveness of his coaching. For almost twenty years, Hamilton served as Home School Coordinator for the Ho-Chunk Nation, where he instituted educational initiatives and community outreach. He now serves as a Youth Coordinator, focusing on developing and empowering native youth and their families. He has served on the Board of Advisors for organizations such as Viterbo University, the La Crosse Family YMCA, United Way, Gateway Area Boy Scouts, Children’s Miracle Network, La Crosse Prevention Network, and the Coulee Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, where he contributed to strategic planning, community outreach, and substance abuse prevention efforts. He is currently the owner of 2gether2one, where he has created and adopted the title CISTO (Chief in Service to Others) to embody his leadership philosophy and commitment to serving others.
Hamilton and his wife Linda have three children: two sons, Vincent and Jacksun, and a daughter, Aaliyah. Hamilton enjoys creating art, reflecting on philosophical questions about life, and studying topics related to personal growth and meaning. “I believe every life endeavor should hold a redeeming social value rooted in service to others. I am most fulfilled working behind the scenes and on the front lines, supporting others. My highest life purpose and mission is to bring people together in unity and oneness."