The Ruby Sutton Award

Ruby Sutton moved to Dubuque in 1959 with her family who happened to be one of only five African-American families at that time. Ruby served for 36 years as the outreach manager of the Operation New View Community Action Agency and 21 years on the Dubuque Human Rights Commission. Among her many recognized accomplishments Ruby Sutton received Dubuque’s Telegraph Herald’s First Citizen Award in 1984, YMCA Women of Achievement Award in 1987 and on November 13, 2009 in Dubuque, IA, it was declared “Ruby Sutton Day.” “Ruby has been leading voice for change around issues of racial justice and poverty” – Michael Van Milligen

In 1989, Ruby Sutton received the NAACP First Humanitarian Award, which was later renamed the “Ruby Sutton Award” in her honor. The Ruby Sutton Award exists to exemplify everything that Ruby stood for such as: positive civic engagement, equality for all, and the fight for racial justice and poverty. It is an honor to receive the Ruby Sutton Award, here are the previous recipients:

1989- Ruby Sutton

1990- Gail Weitz

1991- Jack Hanson

1992- Ernestine Moss

1993- Sister Mary Lee Cox

1994- Suzann O’Connor

1995- Evelyn Jackson

1996- Thom Determan

1997- Ruth Clark

1998- Jan Gleichner/ Gretel Winterwood

1999- Hazel O’Neil

2000- Kathy Williams

2001- Raydora Drummer/Melvin Moss

2002- Ruth Scharnau

2003- Kate Zanger

2004- Cammie Dean

2005- Kelly Larson

2006- Dr. Kris Hall

2007- S. Inez Turnmeyer

2008- Amy Ressler

2009- Janice Craddieth

2010- Dr. Dan Johnson

2011- Sister Corrine Murray

2012- Anthony Allen

2013- Dr. John Whalen

2014- Claudette Bees

2015- Dr. Donna Loewen

2016- Ernest Jackson

2017- Tom LoGuidice & R.R.S. Stewart

2018- Sue Wilson

2019- Rev. Tim Bees

2020- Peggy Jackson

2021- Father Dan Knepper

2022- WILL IT BE YOU?

*Thank you all for your hard work in upholding and carrying out the principles/initiatives of the NAACP Dubuque Branch!

To nominate someone for the Ruby Sutton Award please feel out the form below: