An outstanding group of Atlanta Public Schools (APS) educators and schools were recently honored during the inaugural Alonzo A. Crim Award Celebration for their unwavering commitment to advancing equity across the district. Known affectionately as Equity Champions, this year’s honorees were selected by peers, supervisors, and district leaders for their outstanding commitment to actively modeling the APS Equity Commitments.
Held on Thursday, Aug. 28, at the APS Student and Family Support Hub, the celebration is named after Dr. Alonzo A. Crim, who became the district’s first Black superintendent in 1973, and was widely known for raising the standards for educational excellence throughout APS.
“As superintendent, Dr. Crim coined the term, ‘community of believers,’ based on the belief that every child in the Atlanta community could learn,” said Dr. Carina Windom, director of the Office of Equity + Social Justice (OESJ). “More than 50 years later, our district is still guided by Dr. Crim’s philosophy. It is evident in our tagline, One District. One Goal. Every Child.”
Hosted and sponsored by the Office of Equity + Social Justice, this year’s program honored seven individuals and three schools as the newest equity ambassadors. Recipients will serve one-year terms, gain access to professional learning grants, and partner with the OESJ as they carry the mantle of equity forward into their school communities, departments, and teams.
This year’s individual honorees are:
- Sugel Cruz, Sutton Middle School
- Samuel Davis, D.M. Therrell High School
- Kassandra Dixon, KIPP WAYS Academy
- Sean Freeman, Booker T. Washington High Shool
- Tonya Holmes, Fickett Elementary School
- Angela Marshall, Midtown High School
- Dr. Terriyln Rivers-Cannon, West Manor Elementary School
School Honorees are as follows:
- The B.E.S.T. Academy at The Thomas W. Dortch Jr. Institute
- Ralph J. Bunche Middle School
- Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School
The event featured an inspiring keynote address by Mawuli Mel Davis, an Atlanta civil rights attorney and founding partner with Davis Bozeman Johnson Law. Dr. Andrew Lovett, Jr., Human Resources strategic staffing director and former principal of Benteen Elementary School, shared his experience and reflections as a 2024 Equity Champion award recipient.
APS Student Advisory Council (SAC) members Kaili Stith, a senior at Midtown High School, and Emory Arnold, 12th-grader at Booker T. Washington High School, served as the evening’s emcees.
Dr. Crim’s grandchildren, Brandon McClendon and Dionn Wright, were also in attendance.
The South Atlanta High School Hornet Records provided musical entertainment, and students with Therrell High School’s Advanced Repertory Dance Company performed a stirring lyrical dance routine.
Atlanta Board of Education member Cynthia Briscoe Brown, who was instrumental in helping establish the district’s equity policy, shared how proud she was of this year’s recipients.
“I share my gratitude and appreciation for all that you do to champion our students, ensure their educational needs are met, and work tirelessly to make sure they feel seen, heard, and valued,” Briscoe Brown told the audience. “I look forward to seeing you expand the work you’re doing in our schools and communities.”
During his keynote address, Davis encouraged each recipient to be competent, courageous, and contagious. He reiterated Dr. Crim’s commitment to building community and shared that his mother first taught at Wendell Phillips High School in Chicago, the same school where Dr. Crim served as principal.
“Be students of this work and be committed to this work,” he said. “That’s how we win and how we build a community of believers.”
We salute the 2025 Alonzo A. Crim Award recipients and all they do to advance equity in Atlanta Public Schools!
Learn more about this year’s recipients here.
