The Five Legacy Awards
Each award honors a visionary educator and activist whose work advanced learning and liberation. When you sponsor an award, you're celebrating their legacy and the educators carrying their work forward.
James Baldwin Award for Courageous Teaching & Truth
James Baldwin
1924-1987
American writer and civil rights activist whose work illuminated the complexities of race, sexuality, and class in America.
What This Award Honors
Honors an educator who teaches with intellectual rigor, cultural awareness, and fearless truth-telling.
Available at:
James Baldwin
1924-1987
Mary Church Terrell Award for Student Advocacy & Leadership
Mary Church Terrell
1863-1954
One of the first African American women to earn a college degree and a founding member of the NAACP.
What This Award Honors
Recognizes excellence in student support, advocacy, and community leadership.
Available at:
Mary Church Terrell
1863-1954
Katherine Johnson Award for Academic Precision & Excellence
Katherine Johnson
1918-2020
NASA mathematician whose orbital calculations were critical to the success of the first U.S. crewed spaceflights.
What This Award Honors
Honors exceptional data-driven instruction and commitment to student mastery.
Available at:
Katherine Johnson
1918-2020
Ellen Ochoa Award for Scientific Curiosity & Innovation
Ellen Ochoa
1958-present
The first Hispanic woman to go to space and former director of NASA's Johnson Space Center.
What This Award Honors
Recognizes innovative teaching that inspires inquiry, exploration, and excellence.
Available at:
Ellen Ochoa
1958-present
Pura Belpré Award for Literacy & Liberation
Pura Belpré
1899-1982
The first Puerto Rican librarian at the New York Public Library and a pioneering children's author.
What This Award Honors
Celebrates an educator advancing literacy as a tool for identity, voice, and freedom.
Available at:
Pura Belpré
1899-1982
Sponsor an Award
Choose which legacy to champion. Platinum, Gold, or Silver. Sponsor an award and help us celebrate the educators carrying these legacies forward.
A Legends Charter School event presented by Equity Now, Inc.