InnoPower is an organization led by ex-NFL player Emil Ekiyor. InnoPower is a combination of two words, innovation and power.
Ekiyor believes when individuals work together, they can use their collective power to implement innovative ideas. Each year, InnoPower hosts a Minority Business Conference that has moved from a day to an entire week in the last few years. One event during this week is the Black Excellence in Education Awards. This year, 90 Black educators were recognized.
The evening began with a legacy award given to Dr. LaTonya Turner. Dr. Turner serves as the Dean of the Fred S. Klipsch Educators College at Marian University.
She is a former teacher, school counselor, and principal, with over 16 years of K-12 experience, in traditional public, charter, parochial, and private school settings; and ten years in higher education. Several educational, governmental, and community-based organizations, such as the Indianapolis Mayor’s Office of Education Innovation, AdvancED, the State Board of Education, the Indiana Department of Education, the Indianapolis Urban League, and others, count on her professional guidance and keen subject matter insight.
The legacy award was followed by the Arnold Mickens Leadership Award. The Leadership Award was renamed after Arnold Mickens, former NFL player and a school counselor at Crispus Attucks High School, at the time of his death. There were two recipients, Dr. Erica Buchanan-Rivera, Equity and Inclusion Director for Washington Townships Schools, and Dr. Keanna Warren, CEO of Purdue Polytechnic High Schools.
Then, Dr. Shawn Smith and Dr. Tenika Holden-Flynn joined Emil Ekiyor for a fireside chat. During the chat, Smith and Holden-Flynn emphasized the importance of recruiting and retaining Black educators. Smith said, “Educators, please mentor another educator. Please encourage others to join the profession.”
Following the fireside chat, educators were acknowledged based on their content areas. Each teacher received a certificate from Congressman André Carson, and each category had a winner. That winner received a trophy. The trophy winners are listed below.
Career and Technology – Rebecca Meriweather, Providence Cristo Rey High School
Elementary – Cydney Price, Allegiant Prep Academy
English – Rachael Ward, Brownsburg High School
Mathematics – Antwon Clark, Brownsburg West Middle School
Physical Education and Health – Don Carlisle, Ben Davis High School
School Administration – Mari Swayne, McKenzie Center for Innovation & Technology
School Support Staff – Angela Douglas, KIPP Indy School
Social Studies – Dewight Bigbee, Eastwood Middle School
Special Areas and Electives Laura Crawford, Brownsburg East Middle School
Special Education and English as a New Language – Elise Sanders, Northwest Community Middle School
Black educators from traditional public schools, public charter schools, and private schools were recognized. The school type they served in did not matter, only their excellence and their results with students.
Disclosure: Educator Barnes is a member of the InnoPower Minority Business Week Committee and the Black Excellence in Education Awards Committee
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