Scarbrough earns Beloved Community Award from King Center in Atlanta

ATLANTA, Ga. — Dr. DuShun Scarbrough Sr., executive director of The Arkansas Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission, was a spotlight recipient at the Beloved Community Awards, held last week in the heart of Atlanta at the Hyatt Regency Ballroom.

The King Center’s MLK, Jr. Beloved Community Awards are set for their first-ever national television premiere on Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. on BET, and will shine a spotlight on Scarbrough, as he receives the Beloved Community Civic Leadership Award.

For more than 18 years, Scarbrough has served as the Commission’s executive director, demonstrating what many have said is a sustained commitment to service and social justice. A spokesperson for The King Center stated that Scarbrough was the obvious choice, emphasizing that “There was truly no other person that came to mind for this award but Dr. Scarbrough.”

The Beloved Community Awards, according to Dr. Bernice King, CEO of The King Center and daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., is more than just an awards show. As she opened the evening, she described it as “a gathering of purpose, a convocation of light, a summons to the soul of a nation.”

Held annually as part of The King Center’s King Holiday observance, the awards recognize individuals and organizations–both national and international–whose lives and work embody Dr. King’s vision for a world that is just, humane, and peaceful. Dr. King emphasized that these are “humanity honors,” not “celebrity honors.”

The Civic Leadership Award, presented by LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Voters Matter, on behalf of Dr. King’s daughter and The King Center, is dedicated to someone who embodies the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. Scarbrough’s leadership in advancing civil rights and community engagement was celebrated as he thanked those who paved the way for him, his family, staff and volunteers.

Upon receiving the honor, Scarbrough offered a humble reflection to The Commercial. “This award is not just for me; it’s for every dedicated person who has worked tirelessly alongside the Arkansas Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission over the years,” he remarked. “We are simply carrying the torch passed to us, and the true honor is in seeing Dr. King’s vision and principles realized in our communities. I am profoundly grateful.”

Chairwoman Sharon Ingram attributed the success directly to the efforts and vision of Scarbrough. Ingram spoke passionately about the organization’s mission and the impact of its programs across the state of Arkansas.

A core focus for the Arkansas MLK Jr. Commission is the welfare and education of the state’s youth. Ingram emphasized the holistic approach taken by the commission.

“One of the things that I really respect about the commission is the hard work that they’re doing throughout the state for our youth,” said Ingram. “Youth has always been something that I like to work with, and we make sure that they are educated. We make sure that they are fed because if our children cannot read and they are not fed, they don’t do as well in school.”

A significant initiative discussed was the “Victory Over Violence” program, which addresses bullying and youth-related violence. The program, which has partnered with Fox 16 and local school districts, is rooted in the principles espoused by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Ingram explained the philosophy behind the campaign: “One of the principles of non-violence that Dr. Martin Luther King speaks about is basically you don’t need violence with violence. We all know that there’s bullying in our schools, but we have to teach our children how to handle that without violence being their first option.”

She further stressed the program’s importance in the current climate, noting that “Unfortunately, over the past few years, bullying has become a concern not only in Arkansas, but I think it is across the United States,” she said. “We have to teach them how to police their feelings and the best way to handle situations.”

The Civic Leadership Award bestowed upon the commission was a moment of pride for Ingram, who praised Scarbrough’s leadership.

“That is a direct response to his leadership,” she stated, regarding the award. “It is a culmination of the work that he’s done over the years that he’s been with the Martin Luther King commission and how hard he has worked for the commission to bring our programs to the forefront.”

Ingram described Scarbrough as organized and relentless in his pursuit of excellence for the commission and the state. “He’s up all the time. The thing that he focuses on is what’s best for the commission and for the state of Arkansas, and I respect him for that,” she affirmed. “He is very organized. He wants to make sure that anything that the commission’s name is on is done right and is decent, and in order.” She also commended the professional and hard-working staff, noting their smooth operations are a “direct correlation to the strong leadership that Dr. Scarbrough exhibits daily.”

Among those reflecting on the commission’s impact is long-time volunteer and Little Rock trailblazer, Johnny Hassan, who spoke about his history and commitment to the nonviolence movement.

Hassan’s journey with the commission began with a close personal family connection to Scarbrough. This familial bond quickly grew into a passion for the commission’s work. His work as a volunteer led to significant personal development and training. Scarbrough provided him with the opportunity to study with Dr. Bernice A. King at The King Center, where he participated in the 365 Nonviolent Movement.

Also among those celebrating Scarbrough’s achievement was his mentee, Jayla McNutt, a third-grade teacher at Stewart Elementary in Forest City, who described her relationship with Scarbrough.

“Life changes would be a short way to put it,” McNutt stated in an interview ahead of the ceremony. “It’s just honestly life-changing to see all the opportunities, all the love, all the community support, especially for places all over the state that have never seen or heard of these events.”

McNutt, who noted that she and Scarbrough share a college background, emphasized that the recognition is long overdue. On hearing about his award, she simply said, “Well deserved, somebody that works as hard as he does, and still at the same time puts his family first, puts the community first, puts the state first. He’s a man of action more than more of his words. So he’s actually well deserving of the award.”

A core theme of Scarbrough’s work is his focus on underprivileged youth in rural communities like McNutt’s hometown of Forest City. McNutt detailed the tangible benefits of his work, which often include bringing essential resources.

“We have a lot of underprivileged kids whose parents cannot even afford the school supplies or afford to even get the new laptops or the new things that he brings,” McNutt explained. “But just to see somebody bring some positive shine that gives them another outlook on life, like, ‘I don’t have to stay here… I don’t have to just be in the streets.’ So just to see him bring that, it gives them a new outlook and a new avenue to go down.”

The Arkansas MLK Jr. Commission is known for attracting a large roster of celebrities to its events, and McNutt highlighted how bringing these figures to small-town schools has an impact far beyond the students.

“Oh, it means the world to those, even those parents who get to live through their children,” she said. “I know sometimes it’s for the kids, but a lot of times it’s really for the adults too. Like they’re really coming to get to live their childhood dream of meeting those superstars and those celebrities… It’s a family dynamic.”

McNutt also believes these community events promote nonviolence by providing alternative outlets for young people. “It gives them another outlet to say, ‘Okay, hey, I can go and maybe volunteer and give some hours… there is a world outside of where I’m from,” she noted. Her fondest memory as a mentee was a simple one: organizing school supplies for kids, an effort that reflects the selfless community work Scarbrough is now being honored for.

One of the commission’s former members, Attorney Jimmy Morris, who was appointed by former Gov. Mike Huckabee, accompanied by his legal mentor John Walker, was part of the group of commissioners responsible for hiring Scarbrough years ago. He shared a reflective anecdote about the initial hiring process, highlighting the vision that led to the commission’s current success.

“I will tell you a funny story because … it was like there’s no way he can do all of these things he’s selling us he can do,” Morris recalled. “And John said, ‘and maybe we need somebody that can sell.’… And years later, we see the boom that the commission has had, and I’m just so impressed that John had the foresight to see it. I didn’t see it.”

Morris, who has since left the commission, expressed his admiration for the work being done, noting its critical importance in the current climate.

“I love the success that I’ve seen,” he stated. “I love hearing on Power 92 all the things that they’re doing all around the state, and it’s needed. It’s needed, especially in this political climate where diversity is frowned upon, and justice is frowned upon… This type of energy is needed to help offset or swing the pendulum back towards the center, where everybody can get justice.”

When asked what the award meant for Arkansas, Morris emphasized the significance of persistence in the long fight for equality, recalling advice from Judge Wendell Griffin: “Stay in the fight.”

“It gets long. It gets hard. And so what this means is not only are we in the fight, but we’re staying in the fight, we’re keeping going,” he said. “And now we’re being recognized and validated for the work that’s being done.”

The 2026 honorees were recognized for their influence across various fields, including civic leadership, social justice advocacy, youth empowerment, environmental justice, corporate responsibility and cultural influence. Collectively, they represented what Dr. King called “truth tellers, bridge builders, healers, innovators, disruptors of injustice and architects of hope.”

Full List of 2026 Beloved Community Honorees:

Beloved Community Technological Innovation Award — Kara Water — accepted by Cody Soodeen, CEO and founder

Beloved Community Christine King Farris Legacy of Service in Education Award — Sesame Workshop — accepted by Valerie Mitchell Johnston, executive vice president and general counsel of Sesame Workshop

Beloved Community Yolanda D. King Higher Ground Award — Warrick Dunn — former NFL player, philanthropist, entrepreneur

Beloved Community Youth Influencer Award (Individual) — Dr. Dorothy Jean Tillman — founder and CEO, the Dorothyjeanius STEAM Leadership Institute

Beloved Community Youth Influencer Award (Corporation) — LeBron James Family Foundation — accepted by Gloria James, mother of LeBron James

Beloved Community Environmental Justice Award — Billie Eilish — artist and songwriter

Beloved Community Coretta Scott King Soul of the Nation Award — Viola Davis — actor and producer

Beloved Community Corporate Social Impact Award — Cisco Systems, Inc. — accepted by Brian Tippens, SVP, chief social impact and inclusion officer

Beloved Community Social Justice Award — Mónica Ramírez — founder and president of Justice for Migrant Women

Beloved Community Salute to Greatness Humanitarian Award — Robert F. Smith — founder, chairman and CEO, Vista Equity Partners