Winners of the Black Achievers Scholarships were, left to right, Jy’Heir Foster-Wheeler, Nitaya Johnson, Lily Watkins, Zoe Bladen, Kiara Marcus, Allie Stockton and Sam Reynolds.
Courtesy photo
SIDNEY — The James P. Humphrey Sidney-Shelby County Black Achievers Scholarship Committee (BASC) has announced the 2023 scholarship winners.
Nitaya Johnson and Zoe Bladen received the James P. Humphrey Scholarship in the amount of $1,500.00 each during awards ceremonies at Sidney High School on May 11.
Allie Stockton and Lily Watkins were awarded the Elder Claudie Johnson Scholarship in the amount of $1,250.00 from the BASC. These prestigious scholarships were named in honor of James P. Humphrey, Sidney’s first African-American mayor, and Elder Claudie Johnson, a charter member of the Black Achievers Scholarship Committee.
The Black Achievers also awarded scholarships to Sidney High School graduates Kiara Marcus, $500, Jy’Heir Foster-Wheeler, $250, and Samuel Reynolds, $250.
In addition to the scholarships awarded to graduating seniors, the Black Achievers also awarded an educational grant for $500 to collegian Cedric Johnson to help him continue his college education.
The James P. Humphrey Sidney-Shelby County Black Achievers Scholarship Committee (BASC) was established on Jan. 29, 1987. It is independent and unaffiliated with any other local, state or national organization.
The BASC provides financial incentives to the African-American youth of Sidney and Shelby County to begin or continue their post-high school education; assists students who might not otherwise be able to continue their education; recognizes and rewards those students who have demonstrated academic success; and honors the memory of James P. Humphrey and Elder Claudie Johnson.
In 2002, the BASC received the Red Cross Humanitarian of the Year Award to recognize its “commitment to make a difference in the lives of those in our Black community.”
The BASC has also partnered with Edison State Community College to provide additional scholarship money to recipients.
The original committee members included Dorothy Franklin, Virginia Thompson, James Daniel, the Rev. Claudie Johnson, Dale Locker, Ken Ruth and James Humphrey. They were charged with the responsibility of administering a scholarship program established to honor the achievements of James P. Humphrey, Sidney’s first black mayor who served three terms from 1981 to 1987.
