Medal of Honor
Recognizing the ordinary people doing extraordinary work — one bridge-builder at a time.
Every hero has a name.
The Race Amity Medal of Honor exists because too many of the people doing the most important work in America never get recognized. They're teachers and coaches, clergy and community organizers, neighbors and friends who quietly build the bridges that hold this country together. This award is for them.
About the Award
The Race Amity Medal of Honor is presented annually at the National Race Amity Conference. Recipients are nominated by the community and selected by the NCRA board for their outstanding contributions to building genuine friendship and solidarity across racial lines.
Past recipients include educators who transformed their schools, faith leaders who opened their congregations across the color line, activists who built unexpected coalitions, and artists who told stories that changed hearts and minds.
What unites them: they didn't wait for permission. They saw a need for connection and acted — often quietly, always courageously.
Who Is Eligible?
The Medal of Honor is for anyone — of any background, in any field — whose work embodies the spirit of race amity. We look for:
Genuine Connection
Recipients build real relationships across racial lines — not transactional partnerships, but authentic friendships grounded in respect and love.
Community Impact
Their work touches lives beyond their own — in schools, neighborhoods, faith communities, or civic institutions where their example inspires others.
Long-Term Commitment
Race amity isn't a moment — it's a practice. Recipients demonstrate sustained commitment to the work of building friendship across difference.
Quiet Excellence
Many of our recipients are doing extraordinary work that rarely makes headlines. We believe in honoring those who show up even when no one is watching.
Past Recipients
Each year, the Medal of Honor ceremony is one of the most moving moments in the Race Amity movement. Recipients come from every walk of life — united by their commitment to the belief that friendship can heal America.
The 2023 ceremony honored individuals whose work spans education, faith, community organizing, and the arts. Their stories — and the stories of all past recipients — are a testament to what ordinary people can accomplish when they choose connection over division.
2023 Medal of Honor Recipients
Know Someone Worthy of This Honor?
Nominations for the Race Amity Medal of Honor open each year ahead of the annual conference. Reach out to learn more about the nomination process.