Return to Honor Gala Highlights Brotherhood and Black Excellence
Image courtesy of Return to Honor
BY MONIQUE HOWARD | For AC JosepH Media
DEPTFORD — On September 13, the 2nd Annual Return to Honor Gala will celebrate the everyday achievements of Black men who are unsung heroes in their communities and workplaces.
The event will be held at Adelphia from 6-10 p.m. During the event, eight honorees—nominated by family members, friends, or neighbors—will be presented with the Pillar of Excellence Award.
The all-black, black-tie gala seeks to break the cycle of trauma caused by dishonor and aims to uplift Black men who are the cornerstones of their families and influential figures in their communities.
Alumni attend the event to show their support during an evening dedicated to commemorating brotherhood and Black excellence.
For Co-Chair Hawa Johnson, the Return to Honor Gala is more than an event—it’s a pathway to restoring honor within the culture of the African diaspora and Black and Melanated communities.
“We have law enforcement representatives,” Johnson said in an interview with Front Runner New Jersey.
“We have a man who is really making a mark in the male healthcare arena. We have a ministry representative, we have education and business representatives, and we’re just excited to honor them on Saturday at Adelphia.”
Johnson continued, “It begins at home—between each man and his wife and his family. And then it radiates outward. This is just the seed of a movement that is spreading within our community.”
Return to Honor organizer Kaleena Randall’s previous career in counseling equipped her with a unique perspective on a key element she felt was missing from many Black men’s life experiences: validation of their identity and self-worth. Meeting clients from various age groups and backgrounds, and having candid conversations with one of her male co-workers, helped solidify this belief.
“And Return to Honor basically came down to this: the man, the woman, and their child—how was that?” Randall stated.
“We have to do it for ourselves. We have to heal ourselves. And a great place to start is with the element of honor that’s been historically stripped from our men.”
Randall believes unresolved trauma has left many Black men unequipped to reach their full potential. Through this event, she hopes to promote healing and self-acceptance—fostered by the support of loved ones and the realization that they are entitled to a life of dignity, simply by being human.
“Last year’s gala really confirmed that we were on the right track—that this was something that could begin to restore the honor so horribly stripped from our land,” Randall said.
“We’ve created an award called the Pillar of Excellence Award. Whatever these men do—for their families, in the marketplace, in education, and for the next generation—they do it with excellence because they are honorable.”
With the help of families, sponsors, and volunteers, Randall hopes to expand the Return to Honor movement to other cities and communities.
This year’s honorees include:
*Kevin Foster
*Pastor Bernard Downing
*Anthony Gaulman
*Bruce Jennings
*Walter Conquest
*Jared Jenkins
*David J. Young, Jr.
*Sharawn C. Lowe, Sr.
Follow Us Today On:
Note from AC JosepH Media: If you like this story and others posted on Front Runner New Jersey.com, lend us a hand so we can keep producing articles like these for New Jersey and the world to see. Click on SUPPORT FRNJ and make a contribution that will go directly in making more stories like this available. Thank you for reading.
About Author
