Drum Major Awards Presented to Two Central Catholic Alumni
On Sunday, January 19, Bishop Daniel Thomas celebrated the Mass for Promoting Harmony with the presentation of the Drum Major Awards, Recall the Legacy of Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Toledo. Two of the four honorees this year are Central Catholic graduates - Eric Stockard, Class of 1975 and member of the Historic Church of St. Patrick, and Andrea Jackson, Class of 2024 and member of St. Martin De Porres Parish.
The Diocese of Toledo’s Black Catholic Ministry presents the Drum Major Awards. Recipients demonstrate some or all the following qualities: Openly and actively support the Church’s social teaching and racial justice, call for peace where there is conflict, serve the disenfranchised in their community, and strive for racial equality. Recipients’ life and work should be in harmony with Catholic values and not contradict Catholic beliefs. The candidate must reside in any of the 19 counties of the Diocese and be 14 years of age and older.
The name of the Drum Major Award comes from an excerpt from the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Drum Major Instinct sermon, given on February 4, 1968: “Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice; say that I was a drum major for peace; I was a drum major for righteousness… We all have the drum major instinct.”
Eric Stockard retired from Central Catholic at the end of December. He was a part of CCHS for over 40 years - first as a student, then as a coach, a teacher, and most recently serving as Vice President for Institutional Advancement. He was chosen for this award because he has represented Black Catholics at Central Catholic and across the Diocese, putting his faith in God first and working to bring about unity through diversity. Eric is a former president of the Catholic Club Board of Directors, a past chair for the St. Martin De Porres Parish symphony fundraiser, and he was chair of the Pastoral Council at his current parish, the Historic Church of St. Patrick.
“This is one of the highest honors one can receive from the Diocese of Toledo, and I am so humbled to join the other very deserving recipients of this award and those who received it previously,” Eric said. “I greatly appreciate the foundation I received at Central Catholic High School. That foundation inspired me to give back to the community.”
As a student at Central Catholic, Andrea Jackson was a member of the National Honor Society, the National Art Honor Society, the Glee Club, Gospel Choir, and Drama Club. She was President of the African-American Club and was involved in campus ministry. She is currently a freshman at the University of Toledo where she is majoring in fine arts and minoring in art history. She is an active parishioner and a member of the parish council at St. Martin De Porres. Andrea was chosen for the Drum Major Award because she has stepped up to several requests in Black Catholic Ministry. She participates in the liturgy and recently accepted the position as Mistress of Ceremony for the Black Catholic History Month Prayer Breakfast. Andrea has great leadership qualities and is an amazing asset to our faith communities.
“Receiving this award and recognition means a lot to me,” Andrea said. “My grandmother, Carol Jackson, received the Drum Major Award about 10 years ago. She is my role model, especially in my faith life. Receiving the same award years later is motivation to keep active in the church and help inspire others around me. As for being recognized as a Drum Major of change similar to the traits of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I am extremely honored that the Toledo Diocese and my faith community see me as a changemaker in the community.”
In his homily at the Mass on January 19, Bishop Daniel Thomas said, “The awardees embody the Christian outreach and commitment of our brother, Dr. Martin Luther King. The folks who we honor today, capture his spirit and legacy. If you know any of them, you know that they embody the effort, the reality, and the striving to follow Jesus more closely.”
