Black Educators Committee, Inc. honors five community leaders at Sapphire Gala

The Black Educators Committee, Inc. hosted its annual Legends Ball on April 5, drawing more than 140 attendees to Verdi’s of Westbury for the 2025 “Sapphire Gala,” subtitled “May the Work I Have Done Speak for Me.”

The event honored five local trailblazers for their steadfast commitment to education and youth empowerment while raising scholarship funds for college-bound students.

This year’s gala theme paid tribute to the qualities symbolized by the sapphire—nobility, truth, sincerity, and faithfulness.

“The attributes of the gem sapphire was representative of the special attributes from our honorees for 2025,” said BEC President Vashti Burke.

“These individuals have been so steadfast: for people’s lives, for the kids they reach - that is why they’re being recognized.”

The honorees— Jacci Harris, Christine Layne-Waters, Mary Jean Tucker, Johane Ligondè, and Robert Johnson—were each chosen for their significant impact on education and community service.

Robert Johnson, a retired teaching assistant in the Uniondale School District, has spent decades mentoring students, particularly those with special needs.

Due to illness, Johnson was unable to attend the event, though Burke assured that the organization would make sure that he receives all recognition and allocades with which he was honored. 

Johnson taught workshops in public speaking through Uniondale Public Library, and his voice—used in both speech and song—became a source of inspiration for youth and adult groups alike.

He retired in June 2023 and continues to serve as president of the Friends of the Uniondale Public Library and mentor to the Jr. Friends.

Robert Johnson’s motto—“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”—encapsulates the heart of BEC’s mission.

Christine Layne-Waters, the New York State Education Chair for the NAACP, was recognized for more than four decades of advocacy in both public and private education.

“Mrs. Christine Waters and her work with the NAACP is a powerful testimony!” Burke said over email.

Waters has worked extensively to promote equity in education and was the co-president of the East Meadow Association of Retired Teachers from 2018 to 2021.

Mary Jean Tucker, a retired nurse, a Freeport High School alumna and long time Freeport resident, was honored for developing programs like L.A.D.Y., or Lifetime Attributes for Developing Youths, and G.E.N.T.S., which have guided young people in building life skills and self-worth.

“She was the epitome of just womanhood,” said Burke, who continues Tucker's legacy with regard to the L.A.D.Y program by running the Ladies of Dodd program at Dodd Middle School in Freeport. 

Johane Ligondè, former principal of John W. Dodd Middle School and now Assistant Superintendent in Elmont, is known for her commitment to social-emotional learning and leadership development.

“She was just a spearhead of Sky Breathing, really making sure that social emotional learning was so apparent in our schools,” Burke noted, referring to a breathing technique taught to students to help them regulate stress and improve well-being. 

Jacci Harris, Executive Director of Access 7 Services and board chair of the Cedarmore Corporation, has led youth empowerment initiatives and educational programs throughout Freeport and Long Island.

“So right away: incredible,” Burke said of Harris’s leadership. 

“I really understand more than ever how important it is to have organizations like us that can stand and speak for people,” Burke added about her time as president..

“The event, I felt was very successful," said Saundra Wilson, who serves on the Legends Ball Committee. 

“One event ends, then they start working (on the next one),” she added, emphasizing the long months of focused effort that go into making the Legends' Ball a reality. 

She credited co-chairs Linda Thomas-Batson and Angela Dickens for leading the planning efforts.

Admission to the gala was $140 per person, with all proceeds going toward BEC’s scholarship fund. The committee has selected eight scholarship recipients, who will be honored at a special ceremony at Freeport Memorial Library on May 15.

“Every dollar beyond their plate is going to help a young person reach their dreams of higher education, because that’s the point,” Burke said.

On May 16, BEC will also host a book talk featuring Freeport High School alumna Brea Baker, author of "Rooted: The American Legacy of Land Theft and the Modern Movement for Black Land Ownership."

“She’s a 2012 graduate of Freeport High School… went on to Yale… Her book discusses land ownership and (specifically) the importance of land ownership for African Americans,” Burke said. 

As the BEC continues its mission of advocacy and empowerment, the Sapphire Gala offered a reminder of the lasting impact community leaders can have.

“The name of the game for the organization is volunteerism as service.” Burke said. “Because, what if everybody turned cold… Where would we all be?”