Rootead is thrilled to honor five community leaders at our third annual African Masquerade Fundraiser Gala on Saturday, November 7, 2026. This is the second year the event has included the Community Honoree awards.

This year’s Community Honorees include Pastor Lenzy E. Bell, Charles Parker, Pamela Rolland, Sonya Bernard-Hollins, and Isabela Robinson.

Honorees are selected through recommendations from our staff and trusted local leaders for their consistent dedication to serving and investing in the community. Each honoree embodies Rootead’s core values of care, generosity, leadership, and collective well-being.

“We believe in giving people their flowers while they are here to receive them,” said Carmen James-Hudson, our Executive Director. “So much of what sustains a community happens because people choose, often without recognition, to give their time, resources, wisdom, relationships, and hearts to others.”

We hope to inspire the community by honoring local leaders who work to positively impact our community, often without recognition.

“Highlighting these individuals reminds us that meaningful community change isn’t created by one organization or one person, it happens when people throughout the village continually invest in one another,” said James-Hudson.

We began the Community Honoree awards in 2025. The previous honorees included Wendy Fields, Yolanda Lavender, Stacy Ledbetter, and Stacey Salters-Jackson.

“We wanted the Masquerade to be more than a fundraiser or celebration of Rootead; we wanted it to create space to celebrate the people around us who help make our community stronger,” said James-Hudson.

This year’s African Masquerade Fundraiser Gala will take place at the Epic Center from 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm. Tickets are tiered and include the Table Experience ($1,000), Gold Ticket ($150), Black Ticket ($85), and Green Ticket ($50).

Purchase tickets and learn more about the 2026 Rootead Gala here.