Celebrating 10 Years of Honoring Civil Rights Heroes

In September 2023, Comcast NBCUniversal celebrated 10 years of the Voices of the Civil Rights Movement platform with a special evening at the Comcast Technology Center in Philadelphia. Comcast leaders, elected officials, and nonprofit partners came together to honor the civil rights champions who have contributed their stories to the platform. Honorees present that evening include:

• Dolores J. Brewer, Mercy Douglass Nurses Alumni Association

• Judge Brenda Hill Cole, Retired Georgia State Court Judge

• Patricia A. Coulter, Former President and CEO, Urban League of Philadelphia

• Glenn Ellis, Health Advocacy Communications Specialist

• Charles Geter, Former disc jockey and Assistant News Director, WDAS Radio

• Edith Lee-Payne, Activist, historian, consultant, and political strategist

• Yvette M. Miley, Executive Vice President, NBCUniversal News Group

• Melba Moore, Tony Award Winner and Three-Time Grammy Nominee

• Rev. William B. Moore, Pastor, Tenth Memorial Baptist Church

• Joan Trumpauer Mulholland, Freedom Rider

• Lorraine Powell-Johnson, March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom participant

• Dr. Eugene Richardson, Tuskegee Airman

• Mark Segal, Stonewall Riots participant and Founder, Philadelphia Gay News

• Amb. Andrew Young, Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations

Hosted by NBC TODAY’s Craig Melvin and Sheinelle Jones, the celebration included live musical performances, tributes to civil rights heroes, and a fireside chat with former U.N. Ambassador and honoree, Andrew Young.

The event featured a curated selection of artifacts from the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection, Temple University Libraries. Attendees were invited to explore items on display, including a first edition print of Phillis Wheatley’s poetry, an original train ticket to the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, and materials honoring Philadelphia civil rights leaders, including the late interviewee Charles L. Blockson.

Students from Play On Philly Children's Choir performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and “Make Them Hear You” from RAGTIME The Musical during the event. Play On Philly provides transformative music education tuition-free to pre-K-12 students in Philadelphia. Prior to the program, the students were surprised with free laptops courtesy of Project UP, and Comcast awarded the organization a $5,000 grant.

WURD Radio, the only Black-owned and operated talk radio station in Pennsylvania, hosted a live on-site broadcast of the event.

A highlight of the evening was the chat with Amb. Young, during which he reflected on his childhood, and early days of the Civil Rights Movement with his friend and colleague, Dr. King.  Amb. Young shared a sense of hope and positive outlook for the future.

“Together, we celebrate civil rights champions who represent a rare group of people who were not working for any personal benefit,” said Ebonne L. Leaphart, Vice President, Local Media Development, Comcast. “They each decided to defer their dreams for future generations. It is the honor of a lifetime for our team to be entrusted with their stories.”

Since its launch in 2013, the platform has connected audiences to compelling programming that informs and inspires. Today, the collection has grown to nearly 20 hours of content, with historical moments and firsthand accounts from America's civil rights champions — including 10 new interviews celebrating 10 years. Content is available on Black Experience on Xfinity, at select museums, and is free and accessible to all online and @CivRightsVoices on social media.

Read more about the special evening here:
• BET.com
• Forbes.com (ForbesBLK)
• Rolling Out
• The Philadelphia Tribune


Article hero image: Civil rights heroes, community members, and members of Comcast’s Local Media Development team gathered after the 'Voices of the Civil Rights Movement' 10-year celebration at the Ralph J. Roberts Forum in Philadelphia.