Indiana Black Expo names 2024 honorees in African-American culture
Indiana Black Expo will honor contributors to African-American culture, progress and achievement on June 28 during its Pacers Sports & Entertainment Corporate Luncheon.
Among the feted will be journalist and documentarian Soledad O’Brien, Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Colt Edgerrin James, Pacers Sports & Entertainment CEO Rick Fuson and actor Leon (“Ain’t nobody coming to see you, Otis!”) Robinson.
The event, which takes place at 11 a.m. at the Indiana Convention Center’s Sagamore Ballroom.
Soledad O’Brien will receive the Excellence in Media Award recipient.
O’Brien has anchored shows and specials on CNN, MSNBC, ABC, BET, CBS and NBC. Her work has been recognized with four Emmy awards and three George Foster Peabody Awards.
The Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame inductee anchors and produces “Matter of Fact with Soledad O'Brien,” and was a correspondent for HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.”
Edgerrin James is the Excellence in Sports Award recipient.
James played eleven seasons in the National Football League. He was one of the best running backs in University of Miami history, entered the pros as an Indianapolis Colt by winning the AP’s Offensive Rookie of the Year Award and becoming the first and only player in NFL history to lead the league in rushing for their first two seasons.
A four-time Pro Bowl choice, James was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of 2000s, inducted into the Indianapolis Colts Ring of Honor in 2012 and inducted into the NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.
Rick Fuson will be honored with the Rev. Charles R. Williams Award.
Fuson, marking 40 years with the Pacers organization, has been influential in shaping events within Market Square Arena, Gainbridge Fieldhouse and throughout Indiana.
A graduate of Indiana University and a life-long resident of Indianapolis, he joined the staff of Market Square Arena in 1984 as director of special events and helped plan the 1985 NBA All-Star Game. He became president and chief operating officer of Pacers Sports & Entertainment in 2014 and in 2022 became its chief executive.
In January 2024, Fuson announced his retirement, effective June 18. His last major feat was the execution of one of the largest major sporting events, the 2024 NBA All-Star hosted in Indianapolis.
Leon Robinson will be bestowed with the Screen Image Award.
Robinson, usually credited as simply Leon, co-starred in the 1989 ABC miniseries "The Women of Brewster Place” and the movie “Cool Runnings”; and has starred as some of music’s greatest stars — fictional, as well as actual — including turns as J.T. Matthews in “The Five Heartbeats," David Ruffin in the TV mini-series “The Temptations” and rock and roll pioneer Little Richard in a TV biopic.
Tables are available for purchase at summercelebration.net.
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The luncheon is part of Indiana Black Expo’s annual Summer Celebration, which features concerts, business and health expos and conferences.
About the 2024 Indiana Black Expo Summer Celebration
This year’s events, including a three-day exhibition, are slated for June 20-30, to accommodate the National Eucharistic Congress that’s taking place at Lucas Oil Stadium July 17-21.
The Summer Celebration typically starts in mid-July. Indiana Black Expo will go back to its traditional July dates starting in 2025.
It’s one of the major events produced by Indiana Black Expo, a nonprofit organization that promotes social and economic advancement of African Americans through year-round initiatives, including its Black Business Training Institute, Scholarship Fund, Performing Arts Academy and Community Learning Hub.
Contact IndyStar reporter Cheryl V. Jackson at cheryl.jackson@indystar.com or 317-444-6264. Follow her on X.com: @cherylvjackson.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana Black Expo names 2024 honorees for upcoming luncheon
