Honor, pride and integrity filled the auditorium of Howard T. Herber Middle School on Thursday, when the Malverne school district hosted its 40th annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration.
During the ceremony, the 2026 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award was presented to Lorna Lewis, the district’s former superintendent of schools, and Camille Emeagwali, a longtime community advocate. The award is given yearly to recipients in the local school community who have exemplified the values of the slain civil rights leader.
“Our two honorees tonight have been instrumental in crafting a culture of brilliance, where every child is seen, heard, and inspired to live a fulfilling life,” Stephen Benfante, assistant principal for Davison Avenue Intermediate School, said.
Throughout the celebration, students performed an arrangement of songs and anthems from important African American artists, including James Weldon Johnson’s “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and the Rev. Charles Tindley’s “We Shall Overcome.” The students’ performances surrounded the presentation of the awards.
Lewis shared her presentation with photos detailing her journey to becoming an educator. Throughout her 47 years in the field, she’s known the importance of what a good education could signify for students. After arriving from the Caribbean country of Jamaica as a youth, Lewis earned five academic degrees, before beginning her career as an educator.
“From an early age, I was told, ‘... silver and gold will vanish away, but a good education will never decay,’” she said. “Once you have a good education, no one can take that from you.”
Lewis took on the role of Malverne schools superintendent during a tumultuous time, having initially been announced to her position in March of 2020, just days before the Covid-19 pandemic shut down local schools. Despite the rough start early on, Lewis spent five years in the position before retiring in June of 2025. Maria Rianna then took over the role.
Lewis said she was proud to seek out ways to empower student voices throughout the Malverne community. With her support, Malverne High School students helped to rename Lindner Place to Acorn Way in January of 2023, in an effort to challenge the legacy of Paul Lindner, a leader of the Nassau County chapter of the Ku Klux Klan.
“I’d like to be remembered as someone that advocated for children, and someone that allowed them to be whoever they would like to be,” Lewis said. “I tried to open up doors and opportunities for them to be whoever they wanted, because that was really important to me.”
Emeagwali, meanwhile, has made a lasting impact via her commitment to the school district and its PTAs. Having served as co-president of the PTA at both Maurice W. Downing Elementary School and Davison Avenue Intermediate School, Emeagwali emphasized the importance of parent involvement in the Malverne community.
“I love this school district, and my children are proud students who will be proud graduates in the future,” she said. “I’m honored that the district recognizes that, as a parent, I want to do all I can to see all the children in this district be successful.”
Emeagwali volunteers her time to serve on committees throughout the district, including roles with the Superintendent Advisory Council and the Strategic Planning Committee. Emeagwali’s work with the district has been influential since she began volunteering in 2018.
“I took every opportunity that came my way as a way that I could make a little bit more of a difference,” Emeagwali said. “While I didn’t start off seeking to make a big impact, I knew that whatever I could do, I’d be there to do that for the Malverne school district.”
At the end of the ceremony, a tribute presentation was shown to commemorate the life of the late Rener Reed, a Lakeview resident, civil rights leader, and inaugural Humanitarian Award recipient in 1987. Reed, who served as president of the Lakeview branch of the NAACP, died in September, leaving behind a legacy of speaking up against injustice in the Malverne school district.
“(Reed) was our first (Humanitarian Award) honoree 40 years ago, and among the many accomplishments that she had, she’s also the one responsible for the creation of this event,” Benfante said.
After 40 years and 68 honorees, the lasting impacts of Lewis, Emeagwali, Reed and other award recipients are worthy of adorning the legacy of a name like King’s, taking pride in that honor.
“The idea of not only being honored for humanitarianism, but also in the name and the recognition of the legacy of Martin Luther King,” Emeagwali said. “It is so powerful and so humbling.”
