By: Jasmine West
Fifty distinguished Black men from across Southeast Michigan were recognized for their leadership, professional accomplishments and community service during the Michigan Chronicle’s 18th annual Men of Excellence Awards ceremony on Thursday, June 18.
The honorees entered the celebration surrounded by the people who have witnessed their work up close — family members, friends, colleagues and community partners who filled the room to applaud the impact each man has made throughout the region.
WDIV reporter and anchor Jay Scott Smith served as host, guiding the evening’s program as the Michigan Chronicle celebrated a class representing business, government, education, health care, public safety, media, entrepreneurship, nonprofit leadership and community advocacy.
Hiram E. Jackson, chief executive officer of Real Times Media and publisher of the Michigan Chronicle, opened the ceremony with welcoming words before presenting plaques to the 50 honorees and recognizing the recipients of the evening’s special awards.
For 18 years, the Michigan Chronicle’s Men of Excellence program has created a public platform to recognize Black men whose work is helping shape Southeast Michigan’s civic, professional, cultural and economic landscape. The program honors men who have demonstrated success in their professions, served as positive role models and remained actively involved in strengthening their communities.
The recognition also reflects the Chronicle’s longstanding responsibility as a Black newspaper to document Black achievement and ensure that the people building institutions, mentoring young people, serving neighborhoods and opening doors for others are seen and celebrated.
Wayne County Executive Warren C. Evans received the Lifetime Achievement Award, honoring a career of public service and leadership spanning several decades. Evans has held some of the region’s most consequential leadership positions, and the award recognized the lasting influence of his work across Wayne County and Southeast Michigan.
Isiah “Zeke” Williams received the Vanguard Award for his work at the forefront of community-based public safety.
Williams leads New Era Detroit, where he heads community violence intervention efforts focused on reaching residents, interrupting conflict and addressing violence before it escalates. His work represents a neighborhood-centered approach to public safety that relies on trusted relationships, direct engagement and the leadership of people who understand the communities they serve.
Detroit City Council President James E. Tate Jr. was named the 2026 Man of the Year.
Tate was recognized for his leadership and public service in Detroit, where he represents District 1 while serving as council president. His award acknowledged his continued role in decisions affecting city residents, neighborhood development and Detroit’s future.
Shawn Smith was selected as class president, placing him in a leadership role among the 2026 Men of Excellence honorees and giving the class a representative as its members carry the recognition beyond the ceremony.
As Jackson presented the honorees with their plaques, applause came from across the room. The reactions reflected the careers, sacrifices and relationships behind each recognition. Every honoree arrived with his own path, but each was connected by a record of achievement and a commitment to serving others.
The Men of Excellence program was created to ensure that those contributions do not go overlooked.
Black men throughout Southeast Michigan are leading companies, directing public agencies, caring for patients, educating students, creating jobs, mentoring boys and developing solutions to challenges facing their neighborhoods. The Chronicle’s annual ceremony gives those men their flowers while their work remains active and their influence continues to grow.
The awards also allow younger generations to see a wide range of Black male leadership. Excellence was represented throughout the room by elected officials and executives, but also by organizers, educators, entrepreneurs, advocates and professionals whose names may not always receive widespread public attention.
Thursday evening placed all of them at the center.
For the 50 men honored, the ceremony marked an individual accomplishment and induction into an 18-year legacy of Black leadership celebrated by the Michigan Chronicle.
They left with plaques bearing their names, but the evening’s larger recognition centered on what those names have come to represent throughout Southeast Michigan: service, influence, responsibility and excellence.
