'Give them flowers while they live': AHERN magazine, awards celebrate Black achievement
Kyasia Scott is a freshman at Tennessee State University. Though her academic journey is just beginning, she already has plans to enter the medical profession, return to her hometown in Johnson City and give back to her community.
Clara Hughes from Oliver Springs is 101 years old and broke barriers as a Black woman. She served as a maintenance supervisor at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge for more than 30 years and became the first African American woman to serve on its union workers board. And she’s still active in her church and community.
They might be at different stages of life, but their achievements are still being noticed. Hughes and Scott will be among 13 honorees at the 13th DAPS Awards presented by AHERN magazine on Friday.
Knox News’ Angela Dennis will receive a reporter of the year award. A Knoxville native, Dennis explores the intersection of race and equity. She has reported on efforts to reduce gun violence and shared the stories of families affected by it, profiled activist Nzinga “Z” Bayano Amani and she did a feature story on Hughes earlier this year.
Established in 2009, the DAPS Awards recognize Black professionals, students, pastors, ministries, and businesses in East Tennessee and surrounding areas for their achievements and community contributions.
Honorees are selected based on criteria such as community and church involvement, organization affiliations, and achievement.
“People’s attention has not been focused to these individuals,” AHERN Chairman Rev. Harold Middlebrook told Knox News.
“We used to sing a song in the old Black church (with the lyrics) 'Give them their flowers while they live,'” he added. And that's what AHERN does.
A clamoring voice of the achievements, aspirations and desires of African Americans
The awards banquet is an annual celebration of what AHERN magazine does every month. The magazine shares positive stories and helpful information throughout East Tennessee on African American health, education, and religious news.
What would become AHERN started as a hobby for the Rev. Roger Mills in Johnson City. The operation was a “one-man show” and served as a newsletter for local churches.
The newsletter spread, and Mills sought help from other pastors and writers. AHERN then adopted a magazine style, filling its pages with present-day achievements of Black people whose names hadn’t made the headlines of their local newspapers.
“When you spotlight people out of Kingsport or out of Johnson City or out of Elizabethton or out of Oak Ridge, it says to other folks, ‘Hey, there’s something going on there that maybe I need to plug into,’” noted Middlebrook.
So, AHERN started to reach Chattanooga and Bristol. It found its way to Kentucky, Virginia, and across North Carolina. Mills says the magazine now circulates in 18-20 states, recently picking up subscriptions in Washington, D.C., and even New Jersey.
The magazine goes beyond Black excellence. It also has partnered with health organizations to share information about issues affecting Black communities, such as diabetes, and ways to help keep communities healthy. It has partnered with Horizon Bank to help readers learn about investing for their future.
Reporters, writers, and the board produce AHERN as volunteers; they receive no compensation. Any funds raised go back into the magazine. But they do it because they understand its importance.
Middlebrook believes AHERN has the potential to become a major carrier of the voice, aspirations, and desires of African Americans in East Tennessee and beyond, much like what Ebony and Jet magazines did when they launched in the 1940s and '50s. In fact, Mills began to model Jet’s digest magazine size a few years ago.
“We're trying to make it one big clamoring voice,” Mills said. “Our biggest push now is to get them not only to hear but to move.”
Striving to motivate younger generations to achieve and give back
For Mills and Middlebrook, the intention behind AHERN and the DAPS Awards is not only to highlight achievements but also to motivate readers and younger generations to achieve greatness, especially when negative stories and representations regularly get coverage.
“Our children can do, but if they don't have the role models before them, they don't have the motivational people before them, then they start saying, 'well, nothing is expected of me,'” Middlebrook said.
This is why Angela Dennis’ work caught Mills’ attention. “She’s reporting our history,” he said. He admires how she’s from East Tennessee and uses her platform to share the stories and issues concerning Black communities that often get overlooked.
Mills noted this is the first time AHERN and the awards banquet have gotten news coverage from a major outlet – though he has reached out to publications in the past.
Added coverage of applauding people like Dennis and those serving the community helps expand the reach of AHERN’s mission. And this year’s awards will welcome back past DAPS winners as the keynote speaker, mistress of ceremonies, and the soloist for the evening.
“The hope is that young people will see this side of it and hopefully some of them will come forward and say let's carry it to higher heights so that when these old folks are gone, it'll still be around,” Middlebrook said.
Here is the complete list of the 13th Annual DAPS Award winners
AHERN Pastor of the Year: The Rev. Dr. John Butler, pastor, Clinton Chapel AME Zion Church, Knoxville
AHERN Educator of the Year: The Rev. Dr. Linda Calvert, vice president for administration and grant development at Northeast State University, Blountville, Tennessee
AHERN Student of The Year: Kyasia Scott, freshman, Tennessee State University, Nashville, Tennessee
AHERN Business of The Year: WJBE, Joe Armstrong, owner, Knoxville
AHERN Ministry of The Year: Good Samaritan Outreach, Van Dobbins, Kingsport, Tennessee
AHERN Reporters of The Year: Angela Dennis, Knoxville News Sentinel, and Tearsa Smith, WATE News
AHERN Hall of Legacy Inductees: Louise Warmley, 102, Harriman, Tennessee; Clara Hughes, 101, Oliver Springs, Tennessee; Marshall Mills, sports, (posthumous), Morristown, Tennessee; Bobby Hill, sports, Durham, North Carolina.
AHERN Community Service Advocacy Award: Phyllis Nichols, CEO, Knoxville Urban League, Knoxville
H.R. Mills Black Culture Award: Swift Memorial Museum, Rogersville, Tennessee.
Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter for Knox News. He can be reached by email at devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com. Follow Devarrick on Twitter @dturner1208. Enjoy exclusive content and premium perks while supporting strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: AHERN magazine celebrates Black achievement in East Tennessee
