Ron Reynolds, president of the Missouri City and Fort Bend Vicinity NAACP, was among a small group of people honored at the First Annual MLK Gala in Houston on Friday for helping to keep Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream alive through their accomplishments and community service.
Reynolds, an attorney, “has volunteered countless hours of pro bono legal work for the economically disadvantaged,” said Jacquelyn Tolbert, chairman of the Gala. The event kicked off the MLK Parade Foundation’s 2007 celebration of Dr. King’s life and legacy.
Tolbert said others honored at the Friday Gala included Lauren Anderson, the first African American principal dancer for the Houston Ballet; Ron and Sean Jemison, owners of Franklin Beauty School, who have provided hair services to disadvantaged women; U.S. Rep. Shelia Jackson-Lee, for her long and distinguished political career; Dr. Michelle Anderson Lyn, a Houston pediatrician actively involved in efforts to fight child abuse; Houston businessman Jasper Pal, whose community efforts include helping victims of Hurricane Katrina and providing cell phones to the military overseas; Dr. Carol Thomas, Beaumont Independent School District superintendent who “has helped thousands of students realize their dreams by helping provide them excellent educational opportunities” and Dr. Michael P. WIlliams, Houston religious leader, board trustee for Houston Community College and founder of HOPE (Helping Others Pursue Excellence).
