Stanford Gabriel took home Newton's Unity Day Award on Sunday, but an entire community shares in the winnings of the annual celebration.
Stanford serves on the city's Human Relations Council and said he always liked for the winner of the award to be a surprise so he didn't notice efforts to keep the winner's name away from him.
In accepting the award, Gabriel summarized his philosophy on life: "Let me … be a friend to my enemy, the men who are good, the men who are bad, as good and as bad as I am."
In addition to serving on the Human Relations Council, Gabriel is on the Newton Planning commission, the East Newton Neighborhood Task Force, and is the political action chairman for the Catawba County branch of the NAACP. He is a democratic judge for the Board of Elections and a former member of the Newton Board of Adjustment.
"This person is a true advocate of multicultural and racial relations in the city of Newton," said Human Relations Council member Polly Pearson in her introduction of Gabriel.
"This person goes beyond the call of duty when being required to assist others."
Newton's Unity Day celebrates diversity with art, dance, music and food.
Student artwork was in the lobby of the Newton-Conover Auditorium for the ceremony. Performers included the Montessori children's House Choir, St. Paul United Methodist Men's Chorus, the Raza Latina dance troupe and Morning Star First Baptist Church's Youth Choir and Mass Choir. Afterward, the city invited people to share in a feast featuring American and international dishes.
"This truly represents one community, one humanity," said Charles James, a member of the Human Relations Council.
Sunday's celebration ended with the audience joining the Mass Choir in singing "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)." Children and senior citizens, black, white and Latino people stood and clasped hands for the chorus.
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