The Rev. Absalom Jones personified dignity, and new awards named for him honored Episcopalians across the Diocese of Atlanta who compassionately uplift others through justice and service.

Jones (1746–1818) became the first Black American ordained as an Episcopal priest despite the systemic oppression of his era. He was born into slavery and became an advocate for justice and human dignity. His legacy now includes the Inaugural Absalom Jones Dignity Awards, celebrating individuals and organizations in middle and north Georgia whose work reflects a commitment to human dignity, justice, and service.

The Feb. 13 celebration marked Absalom Jones’s feast day and was hosted by the Absalom Jones Episcopal Center for Racial Healing (AJECRH). The event also connected to the church that Rev. Jones founded (African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas in Philadelphia): Its rector, The Very Rev. Canon Martini Shaw, gave the keynote address at the award dinner.

“My dear siblings, I believe that Blessed Absalom would tell us: ‘Saints, during this time of uncertainty in our country and around the world, regardless of who may be seated in the White House or the state house or courthouse or the House of Congress, stand up and keep on fighting for justice, keep on fighting for equality, keep on fighting for fairness, keep on fighting for peace,’” Shaw said. “‘And just keep on praying, keep on serving, keep on witnessing, keep on advocating, keep on marching, keep on loving, and keep on standing and fighting for the dignity of every person.”

The Dignity Awards honored the modern demonstration of Jones’s faith, courage, and commitment to valuing every human life. Recipients embody this legacy through steady, courageous work— respecting human dignity, realigning their lives and work with their faith and the Baptismal Covenant, and restoring justice in the world.

Each honoree represents a Convocation (noted in parentheses) within the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, offering a witness that dignity is lived locally, relationally, and faithfully. People in each of the 11 convocations nominated recipients and the Convocation Deans sent the nominations to the Center. The recipients were:

• Appleton Episcopal Ministries (Middle Georgia): For nurturing children and families through education and after-school programs based at St. Paul’s Macon. Canon for Special Projects Julie Groce received the award on behalf of Appleton.
• Audrey Nesbitt and Althea Dillard (Marietta): For these twin sisters’ work with All God’s Children, a ministry at St. Catherine’s focused on racial justice. (Dillard’s award recognized her posthumously.)
• Brian Boutté (Mid-Atlanta): For leadership in community engagement especially with veterans and spiritual stewardship. He is a member of St. Paul’s Atlanta.
• Jimmy Hyde (Northwest): For a lifelong commitment to peace, justice, and the civil rights movement. He is a member of the Church of the Ascension.
• Judi Carlson (Northeast Metro): For her long-term leadership of Malachi’s Storehouse at St. Patrick’s in Dunwoody, addressing food insecurity.
• Keith White (North Atlanta): For over 20 years of work in multicultural affairs at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School.
• Lynn and Charles Norris (Chattahoochee Valley): For founding the Community Remembrance Project of Harris County to memorialize lynching victims. They belong to St. Nicholas in Hamilton.
• Neva Corbin (East Atlanta): For her advocacy against the death penalty and humanizing relationships with death row inmates. She belongs to St. Bartholomew’s in Atlanta.
• Philbert Smith (Southwest Atlanta): For his stewardship of the democratic process through election equipment maintenance and voter education. He is a member of St. Julian’s in Douglasville.
• Ron Balthazor (Oconee): For his humble witness to justice through teaching, preaching, and inclusive community building. He belongs to St. Gregory the Great in Athens.
• Patricia Murray and Amy Cox (Georgia Mountains): For their five-year leadership of the Sacred Ground racial justice program based at St. Clare’s in Blairsville.

“What a powerful testament to the deep hunger for dignity, justice, and authentic community across Middle and North Georgia,” said AJECRH Acting Executive Director Dr. Beth-Sarah Wright. “We pause to give thanks and to celebrate individuals who quietly and consistently do extraordinary work in ordinary places. May this gathering honor their witness, inspire our own, and remind us that dignity, when lived daily, has the power to heal communities and transform the world.”

The Dignity Awards are an expression of the Center’s mission: “Guided by our faith in Christ and the Baptismal Covenant, the AJECRH strives to develop and equip morally courageous leaders to respect human dignity, confront injustice, and restore communities rooted in justice, healing, and reconciliation. The Absalom Jones Episcopal Center for Racial Healing continues to walk in his footsteps, affirming human dignity, confronting injustice and increasing the capacity to continue dignity work through through its pilgrimages of racial healing classes and preparation programs with dioceses across the nation, through programming for middle and high school students — Breaking Bread, Building Bridges, and Living God’s Dream. And through our annual pilgrimage to and partnership with the Anglican Diocese of Cape Coast, Ghana.”

The center “exists to help us tell the truth about who we are, who we have been, and who God is calling us to become,” said Bishop Rob Wright. “This work is not abstract—it is faithful, demanding, and rooted in the gift of human dignity. Thank you for showing up, for leaning in, and for committing yourselves to the beautiful struggle of truth telling, healing, and love.”

The Rev. Absalom Jones learned to read using the New Testament, gained his freedom in Philadelphia and, with Richard Allen, helped found the Free African Society to support formerly enslaved people, widows, orphans, and the poor. After leading a walkout from segregated seating at St. George’s Methodist Episcopal Church, he helped establish the First African Church in 1792, which, upon its acceptance into the Diocese of Pennsylvania, was renamed the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas. He became a deacon the following year and, at age 56, was ordained. He remained a community leader, founding a day school, the Female Benevolent Society, and an African Friendly Society.

The Rev. Shaw urged the honorees to continue channeling Absalom Jones as they fight contemporary oppression: “Be an agent of light in the midst of darkness; be an agent of hope in the midst of despair; be an agent of joy in the midst of sorrow.”