A celebration of Black history was also a celebration of life for a man who was a key member to the Athens community – Frank Travis.

The 8th Annual Athens Black History Celebration, in honor of Black History Month, was held at the Beasley Center in Athens on Saturday, Feb. 4, sponsored by the Athens-Limestone Community Association and in partnership with the City of Athens.

The theme for the event was “The Next Generation: What are they doing?”

The keynote speaker for the event was Chauncey Glover, an award-winning anchor and reporter for Houston’s ABC13. He is also from Athens-Limestone, as a graduate of East Limestone High School.

As the keynote speaker, Glover used the opportunity to speak on a variety of points regarding Black History Month, while also talking about the theme of the event.

While highlighting the successes of Glover and the honorees was a large percentage of the celebration, another large portion was the dedication towards honoring the life of Frank Travis, a man who was known for his contributions to the Athens community and dedication to the artistic community of the area.

Travis served multiple roles in Limestone, including as Athens city councilman for District 3. His passing in 2022 was called a huge “loss” by Mistress of Ceremonies for the event, Jasamine Byrd.

“He devoted time and energy toward encouraging and developing talent for NAACP youth and served in leadership roles (elsewhere),” Byrd said. “His passing in 2022 was a loss to the entire community. His unselfish sharing of his talents made the world a better place.”

The celebration of Travis’ life was vocalized with a rendition of “I Can only Imagine” by Marquita Freeman.

Following that was Athens Mayor Ronnie Marks, who called the rendition by Freeman “beautiful” and said “I listened to that song “I Can Only Imagine” in front of Frank’s picture (at the event). That’s not easy for me to do.”

The program was also dedicated in loving memory for Mrs. Lucy Lincoln.

The event featured multiple honorees, listed below. All information comes from the program for the 8th Annual Athens Black History Celebration.

Jasamine Byrd

Byrd is from Athens, and has a “passion for storytelling and writing.” She is currently a journalist for FOX54 in Huntsville. She is a graduate of Oakwood University. She served as Mistress of Ceremonies for the event.

April Collins

Collins, from Athens, is a successful personal injury attorney who has helped “countless injury survivors across the state of Alabama.” She is the past President of the Black Women Lawyers Association of Alabama. She has been presented a key to the city of Athens and also has her own day, as proclaimed by the mayor of Athens, on May 14, 2011.

Kirstin Terri Brown

Brown is a native of Limestone County and is a 2017 honors graduate of Tanner High School, where she was senior class Vice President and a Limestone County Alabama Student Senate Representative. Her decorated basketball career – where she would win multiple honors locally – would lead to her receiving basketball and academic scholarships at the next level for Delta State University in Mississippi. She is currently a contract specialist for the Department of Defense in Maryland.

Shannon Moore

Moore is a native of Athens. After studying political science at Tuskegee University, she would go on to receive her JD at Miles College School of Law. This makes her a graduate of multiple HBCUs. She “truly enjoys helping others” and has made an impact with her law career and outreach in the community. According to the program, one of her favorite quotes from the scripture is “to whom much is given, much is required.”

Adrian Pryor

Pryor was born in Athens and is a graduate of Birmingham Southern. He is currently the principal of Rudd Middle School in the suburbs of Birmingham in Pinson, Alabama. His path to reach his goals in education were shaped by his time at Center Point High School, Hueytown High School and McAdory Middle School – all places he worked along the way, while also going to UAB for his Master’s in Instructional Leadership and an Educational Specialist Degree.

Dr. Duana Bassham Shears

Dr. Shears is a graduate of Athens High School and would go on to obtain several degrees at the following institutions – Jefferson State Community College, Athens State University, Alabama A&M University, the University of West Alabama and Argosy University. She is licensed for cremations and embalming, as well as a licensed funeral director for the State of Alabama as well.

Raven Warner

A native of Athens, Warner is involved with the Computer Science program and STEM programs at UAB. Her time as included working as an intern for the prestigious Bastion Technologies, Inc. for software engineering at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. She also worked as a civilian intern for Pathways Engineering. She also serves as the Technology Chair for Christian Corner – a platform dedicated to interconnecting Christians and deepening their relationship with Christ.

Quez Watkins

Watkins is a graduate of Athens High School and attended Southern Miss University. He is now prepping for the Super Bowl, as he is a wide receiver in the NFL for the Philadelphia Eagles and gearing up to face the Kansas City Chiefs. However, the most important work Watkins does is not during the games, but during the offseason, when he gives back to the Athens community with his annual football camp.