2023 Reverend Wright Human Rights Award Recipient

The Annual Reverend Wright Human Rights Award goes this year to Emanuel Scarbrough. The award will be presented at the Common Council meeting on Tuesday, June 20, 2023.

The Annual Reverend Wright Human Rights Award goes this year to Emanuel Scarbrough. The award will be presented at the Common Council meeting on Tuesday, June 20, 2023.
Emanuel Scarbrough’s life and work has positively impacted many individuals in Madison and the community in general. Emanuel has a warm, encouraging spirit and a genuine desire to see others succeed. He is and has been a dedicated servant to his family, friends, church, community, and city, ever since he came to Madison in 1967.

Emanuel plays a significant role in several important community programs including the 100 Black Men of Madison’s annual Back to School Celebration – which has provided vaccinations, haircuts, and over 44,000 backpacks filled with school supplies, to Madison area youth; Helping Those Who Help Others – who, in conjunction with Madison’s First Responders, provide groceries around the holidays to low-income families; and Christmas For Children With Responsibilities –  supporting local high school students who have “adult” or “parental” responsibilities in caring for younger siblings or their own children, ensuring they have clothing, toys, and supplies during the holiday season.

During Emanuel’s service as Vice-President and President of the Dane County Chapter of the NAACP, he worked to get African Americans on Madison Boards and Commissions. Emanuel received the Madison Police Department’s Outstanding Support Award in 2010 for creating a Communication Channel to encourage better relations between the police department and community. At Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center Emanuel served on the committee that laid the foundation for the Malcolm Shabazz City High School.

Emanuel has been a dedicated servant and member of Mount Zion Baptist Church for over 40 years.  In 1999 he started working with Mount Zion’s Genesis Development Corporation to educate on the dangers of drugs and alcohol. His work at Genesis led him to become one of the few certified Prevention Specialists in the state. He served on two of the Governor’s state committees addressing substance abuse in Wisconsin. His dedication to assist communities, especially underserved communities, in the prevention of harmful substance use, led to his work with the Dane County Transition School.

Emanuel serves as a mentor and strong role model for middle and high school students at Whitehorse Middle School, Sennett Middle School, Toki Middle School, Wright Middle School, and LaFollette High School. Financial literacy is a passion of Emanuel’s, and he chairs the Hands on Banking program and co-chairs the Stock Market Game, programs aimed at increasing the financial literacy of middle school students.
The Reverend James C. Wright Human Rights Award honors the late Reverend Wright, a civil rights pioneer in Madison. During the 1960s, he worked on the adoption of the City of Madison's Equal Opportunities Ordinance, and served as Executive Director of the Equal Opportunities Commission from its inception in 1968 until his retirement in 1992. Rev. Wright was born in Camden, South Carolina.
The award is given to an individual who best exemplifies Rev. Wright's dedication and compassion for civil and human rights and who conducts their daily life consistent with these values. The award will be presented at the Common Council meeting on Tuesday, June 20, 2023.

Prior recipients of the award include: Jacqueline Wright, 1996; Dr. Richard H. Harris, 1997; Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson; 1998; Helen Vukelich, 1999; Anthony "Nino" Amato, 2000; _John Noreika, Sr., 2001;Dr. John Y. Odom, 2002; Peter Mu?oz in 2003; Earnestine Moss in 2004; Jonathan "Jon" Gramling in 2005; Agnes Gutierrez Cammer in 2006; Jeffery Erlanger in 2007; Professor Richard Davis in 2008; Darlene Hancock, 2009; Alfonso Studesville, 2010;  Richard V. Brown Sr, 2011; Colleen Butler, 2012; Charlestine Daniel, 2013; Dr. Floyd Rose, 2014; Anthony Timmons, 2015; Annette Miller, 2016; Brandi Grayson, 2019; Tamora Fleming, 2020; Carmella Harris, 2021; Wayne Strong, 2022.