WORCESTER, MA — Black leadership, community service and local talent shared the spotlight Oct. 2 as the second annual Honoring Black Excellence Celebration brought an evening of recognition and connection to the AC Hotel Worcester.
The celebration honored Sean M. Harris, Dr. Crista Johnson-Agbakwu and Deputy Fire Chief William Mosley, recognizing contributions that reach across education, health care and public safety. What’s Up Worcester attended the ceremony and recorded interviews as part of its coverage.
The event sold out ahead of the celebration, according to organizers. Its theme, “Honoring yesterday. Empowering today. Inspiring tomorrow,” connected the recognition of established leaders with the possibilities their work creates for younger generations.
Harris, director of community engagement at Quinsigamond Community College, was selected for his work building partnerships and expanding opportunities in education, workforce development and community engagement.
Johnson-Agbakwu, executive director of the Collaborative in Health Equity at UMass Chan Medical School and UMass Memorial Health, was recognized for work advancing reproductive health, culturally responsive care and access to care for women and migrant communities.
Mosley, a deputy chief with the Worcester Fire Department, was honored for more than two decades of public service. Organizers highlighted his mentorship, work supporting firefighter readiness and role as IAFF Local 1009’s first president of color.
Together, the honorees represented different ways of serving Worcester, from helping people pursue education and careers to improving health care and preparing those responsible for responding to emergencies.
The celebration’s program named Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell as keynote speaker. Its featured guests also included actor and singer Angelo Gray, One Voice Dance Ministry, Pastor Sharon Henderson, Worcester Youth Poet Laureate Samara Tang-Rainwater and DJ Kimpa. The lineup gave space to artistic expression and young voices alongside the evening’s awards.
Behind the gathering was a focus on making sure people’s contributions are acknowledged while they are here to receive that recognition.
In an interview with Reanna Filmore published by What’s Up Worcester before the event, Black Excellence Committee Chair Dianne Langford James described that purpose plainly.
“It’s like, let’s give people their flowers while they’re here,” she said.
WUW’s coverage of the ceremony included interviews with Che Anderson, Tang-Rainwater and Dr. Patricia “Tita” Feraud-King, the celebration’s Program Committee Chair.
Jacqueline Monteiro interviewed Che Anderson, Samara Tang-Rainwater and Dr. Patricia “Tita” Feraud-King, with Jerry Filmore recording and editing those conversations. Tang-Rainwater, a 15-year-old sophomore at Doherty Memorial High School, brought a young Worcester voice to that coverage, while Feraud-King’s role as Program Committee Chair connected it to the work of organizing the celebration.Readers can learn more about the gathering’s origins and purpose in Reanna Filmore’s earlier interview, “Giving People Their Flowers: The Purpose Behind Worcester’s Honoring Black Excellence Celebration.”
🔎 W.U.W. Verification Box
Project / Topic: Worcester’s second annual Honoring Black Excellence Celebration.
Current Status: Held Oct. 2, 2026. What’s Up Worcester attended and recorded interviews.
Key Dates or Decisions: Oct. 2, 2026, at the AC Hotel Worcester, 125 Front St.
Estimated Cost: Event production costs not provided.
Timeline: WUW published its interview with Dianne Langford James Sept. 28; the ceremony followed Oct. 2.
Immediate Next Steps: Not applicable.
Primary Sources: Organizer-provided event flyers; the committee’s public event announcement and Eventbrite listing; Reanna Filmore’s published interview with Dianne Langford James; WUW’s confirmed attendance and interview details.
What We Do Not Yet Know: Final attendance count not provided. Featured guest roles are based on the announced program; individual remarks and performance details are not included.
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