Melanin Market presents annual Heritage Awards Friday night

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Melanin Market is celebrating the contributions of local living legends, community activists and historians at the annual Heritage Awards Friday night.

The ceremony takes place tonight at 7 p.m. at WJCT Studios and will be hosted by Rahman Johnson and Anita Osuigwe-Spencer. It will feature live performances by Genesis Archer, Noble Sound322, Suni Storm, Pierre Kendrick and Genala Riddick.

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The following award recipients will be honored during the Heritage Awards:

• Living Legend Award: Johnnetta Betsche Cole, Ph.D. - Anthropologist, educator, museum director and college president Cole was the first female African-American president of Spelman College and was the director of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African Art.
• Living Legend Award: Dr. Charles McIntosh - A pioneer in sickle-cell advocacy, Dr. McIntosh was the first African-American pediatrician in Jacksonville and the second in the state of Florida.
• Historian Award: Ennis Davis - Ennis Davis is a certified senior planner, specializing in transportation and urban planning projects throughout the country. He is the author of the award-winning books “Reclaiming Jacksonville,” “Cohen Brothers: The Big Store” and “Images of Modern America: Jacksonville.” Davis is a co-founder of urban planning media and placemaking websites Moderncities.com and TheJaxsonMag.com.
• Living Legacy Award: Harold Craw - As the general manager of the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, Harold Craw is the only current African-American general manager in minor league baseball, and only the second African-American to ever be named a general manager in the minor leagues.

Tickets for the event start at $75 and can be bought HERE.

Directions to the event can be found in the map below:

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