Students Honored at 2016 Lyman T. Johnson Awards Banquet

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 12, 2016)  The Lyman T. Johnson Awards Banquet was held last Tuesday evening in E.S Good Barn. The banquet sold out with nearly 100 attendants who were anxious to dine with one another and witness the announcement of this year's award-winning students.

The Lyman T. Johnson Awards Banquet is a longstanding tradition at the University of Kentucky. It was created over 30 years ago, by the UK Black Student Union, to honor the hard work, strong leadership and amazing achievements of the minority students on this campus, who may otherwise go unrecognized.

The banquet was named in honor of Lyman T. Johnson who, in 1949, became the first African-American student to be enrolled at UK after successfully suing the university for rejecting his application to a graduate program on the basis of race. The banquet was created in his name to honor his legacy, and continues as an annual tradition today.

This year's banquet was nothing short of a success, with nearly 100 people in attendance including President Eli Capilouto, Vice President of Institutional Diversity Terry Allen, BSU founder Theodore Berry, and staff from the Martin Luther King Center. An inspiring keynote address was given by State Rep. George Brown, and the evening was hosted by Bishlam Pea and Mariah Caise, who hold the titles of Mr. And Ms. Black UK, respectively.

The 2016 winners of the awards annually presented by the Black Student Union were:

  • Fabian Leon, Outstanding Freshman Award

  • Tiara Fripp, Outstanding Senior Award

  • Carol Taylor, Evelyn J. Black Award
  • Eseosa Ighodaro, John T. Smith Award

  • Kelsey Hammon, Dr. Doris J. Wilkinson Award

  • Nicholas Bryant, Lyman T. Johnson Award

  • NAACP, Non-Greek Organization of the Year

  • Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.-Mu Epsilon Chapter, Greek Organization of the Year 

UK is the University for Kentucky. At UK, we are educating more students, treating more patients with complex illnesses and conducting more research and service than at any time in our 150-year history. To read more about the UK story and how you can support continued investment in your university and the Commonwealth, go to: uky.edu/uk4ky. #uk4ky #seeblue

MEDIA CONTACT: Blair Hoover, 859-257-6398; blair.hoover@uky.edu