Greensboro names five Everyday Champions of civil rights

The City of Greensboro’s Human Rights Commission announced five recipients of the 2026 Everyday Champions of Civil Rights Award, recognizing local residents and leaders for work advancing civil rights and community equity. The honorees were to be recognized during the city’s MLK Memorial Breakfast held January 12, 2026.

The five recipients are James Hairston, PhD; Deena Hayes-Greene; the late Tifanie Rudd; the late Janet Ward Black; and Justin Washington. The commission highlighted Hairston’s academic work and community leadership and noted Hayes-Greene’s service on the Guilford County Board of Education and her efforts on economic equity. The two posthumous awards honored the late Rudd and the late Black for their contributions to the community, while Washington was recognized as an active participant in local civic life.

The Human Rights Commission selected the honorees through its established nomination and selection process, which it outlined when announcing the winners. With the 2026 additions, the Everyday Champions program now totals 15 individuals who have been recognized for sustained civic engagement and advocacy in Greensboro.

The awards arrive at a time when education, economic opportunity and civic access remain central issues for Guilford County voters and public officials. Honoring a county school board member underscores the intersection between civil rights work and local governance, where decisions about budget priorities, student services and equity policies directly affect families across Greensboro and the wider county. Recognitions for academic leadership and community organizing signal the commission’s focus on varied pathways to civic change, from classroom influence to grassroots mobilization.

For residents, the awards serve two practical functions: they publicly acknowledge sustained civic contributions and they highlight areas where local institutions, schools, universities, nonprofits and municipal bodies, can align to address disparities. The inclusion of posthumous honorees also reinforces how historical and ongoing efforts are interconnected, marking continuity between past advocacy and present initiatives.

As the commission continues to spotlight Everyday Champions, the recognition can influence civic conversations ahead of upcoming local meetings and elections by emphasizing accountability, service and equity-focused leadership. Greensboro’s naming of these five recipients adds civic momentum to local efforts on education and economic equity, and it provides a focal point for residents who track how public recognition translates into policy attention and community support.