Local social justice activist, Reverend James E. Ray, shared his story with 21 News from memories of participating in the March on Washington to being a retired presbyterian minister.

Ray says the March on Washington changed his life and that about a month later, he started receiving calls to join other civil rights movement events.


"The call was about would I go to Hattiesburg Mississippi and be on a picket line for a week or ten days in front of the courthouse, so that black people could go and register to vote and not get their head beat in," said Ray. "I said yeah, I think that'd be interesting," he said.


Before he knew it, Ray tells 21 News he found himself on a picket line outside of the chancellor's house at the University of Illinois in an effort to get the school to hire black people. Ray says that effort was succesful.


"We discovered once we made that effort, they started hiring blacks which said to me if you do non-violent demonstrations, maybe some things can change, can happen," Ray said.


Ray's sons and daughter were excited to celebrate his accomplishments saying he shaped who they are. Some of them flew in from other states to be with him.


"People of different countries, different skin colors, everyone was accepted, everyone was embraced, everyone was welcome," said Heather Karp, Ray's daughter. "That carried through in my life wherever I went and I know that I got that from my father and so I really am very thankful," she said.


Ray will receive the Simeon Booker Award that is given to an individual, who exhibits the courage and tenacity of Simeon Booker.

Booker became the first black reporter for the Washington Post before moving to Jet Magazine. As a Civil Rights reporter, he broke the story of the murder of Emmett Till.

The Ohio Non-Violence Week Committee will present the award to Ray, Monday.