Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Awards
Thank you to our speakers, attendees, and presenting sponsors who attended the fourth annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Awards ceremony on Thursday, January 23, 2025.
Congratulations to our honorees for their commitment and service to nondiscrimination.
Meet the Honorees
The MLK Leadership honorees were selected to represent corporate, community, humanitarian, and student achievement.
Corporate Leadership Award
The Estée Lauder Companies
The Estée Lauder Companies’ (ELC) support of the Supply Chain Scholars program at Bucks County Community College resonates deeply with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s vision for civil and economic rights and equality by expanding access to education and career opportunities for underrepresented groups in Bucks County, Pa. In partnership with BCCC and Temple University, the program provides scholarships, mentorship, and hands-on training, actively working to bridge economic disparities, and opening pathways for local students to secure stable, high-quality careers in supply chain management—a field with growing demand. This program strengthens principles of equality by fostering inclusion in a traditionally underrepresented industry, empowering individuals to advance economically and break systemic barriers to career growth.
This fall, the program announced its third cohort of scholars, bringing the total number of students supported to 13. ELC remains dedicated to the program’s mission, ensuring that each cohort reflects true diversity and offers students from Bucks County the chance to learn, work, and thrive locally. These scholars contribute to the region’s economic development while serving as role models for other students in the community and at Bucks County Community College. Through this initiative, ELC honors Dr. King's call to uplift underserved communities by equipping individuals with the tools to achieve excellence and make meaningful contributions to their communities.
Community Leadership Award
Angela Nutter
Doylestown Juneteenth
Angela Nutter has provided opportunities to elevate the voices of smaller populations across the county, creating events that bring the community together. She founded Doylestown Juneteenth to help the community learn about and celebrate the national holiday. Her successful Juneteenth at the Mercer celebrations bring together a variety of organizations to showcase the vibrant history and community of African Americans in Bucks County. The event is a collaboration with many organizations, including the African Diaspora Collective in Bucks County, Bucks County NAACP, Bucks County Anti-Racism Coalition, the African-American Museum of Bucks County, The Peace Center, and the Pair Up Society.
In addition to the Juneteenth celebrations, Ms. Nutter partnered with Desis of Doylestown to successfully hold the first-ever Bucks Culture Fest at Bucks County Community College in Newtown in 2024, bringing together 40+ organizations and more than a dozen multicultural entertainers. She also volunteers on the board of directors of the BC Cares Education Foundation.
Ms. Nutter has educated the community about the vision of Dr. Martin Luther King's dream of equity for all. The former personal chef and culinary school graduate also works for the Bucks County Opportunity Council as the food program coordinator, facilitating public and school distributions, and helping to provide for a network of food pantries across Bucks County. Ms. Nutter lives in her hometown of Doylestown with her husband and two sons.
Humanitarian Leadership Award
Damita Harvey Harris
Associate Director with No Longer Bound and Community Organizer with Bristol Cares Coalition
Damita Harvey Harris has worked for nearly 20 years with No Longer Bound, a 501(c)3 prevention services organization whose mission is to empower the community by providing educational programming and training to address drug and alcohol abuse, increase positive social development, and improve overall well-being.
Ms. Harvey Harris also established the Bristol Cares Coalition to support positive youth development in the neighborhoods that form Bristol Township. She continues to nurture this coalition which includes members of the community, school district and agencies with a shared vision for a safe, healthy, nurturing environment for all children and young adults.
She is also one of the founding members and a facilitator of the NAMI Bucks County “Black Minds Matter” Support Group Program, which is a shared strength group dedicated to the mental and overall wellness of the Black Community in Bucks County. She has other volunteer roles as a board member for Friends of Silver Lake Nature Center and treasurer for Struble Elementary School PTO, all while working fulltime as a Talent Development Specialist for NJM Insurance Group.
Ms. Harvey Harris, a 2004 Bucks County Community College graduate who later earned a master’s degree from Holy Family University, is a mother of two amazing children. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and creating lasting family memories.
Student Leadership Award
Leah J. Lovelace-Square
Class of 2025
Leah J. Lovelace-Square is a Guided Studies major at Bucks County Community College, class of 2025, with two concentrations: management, leadership, entrepreneurship and business; and culture and society
Raised in a military family, Mrs. Lovelace-Square grew up in four states and three countries. After struggling through grade school, she experienced a shift at Baumholder American High School in Germany. There, she was exposed to many youth and leadership programs, in both school and the military community, that she believes helped to motivate her consistent drive to break glass ceilings.
Since 2010, Mrs. Lovelace-Square has worked with her husband Nathaniel to help motivate and mentor youth and young adults to help them achieve their personal and professional goals. In 2022, they created P.U.U.S.H. to offer faith-inspired awareness, and development programs to enhance academic excitement and offer life-skill training and leadership development for Bristol Borough, Morrisville Borough, and Bristol Township's underprivileged youth. The program is designed to “Push Underprivileged, Underestimated Students Higher” by exposing them to various opportunities in the hope of a brighter future.
Mrs. Lovelace-Square believes in the scripture chosen as motivation for the program; Philippines 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” She expects the P.U.U.S.H. program to continue its growth, because sometimes all a person needs is a little push!
In 2020, Mrs. Lovelace-Square published her first inspirational book, “The Silent Victim – Testimonies of a Nobody.” She has worked in the hotel industry for eighteen years as a manager and director and serves as a deaconess at Refuge for My Soul Holiness Church in Bristol.
Mrs. Lovelace-Square and her husband have a daughter she calls her “miracle baby,” Sarai Lily, and four older children, James, ShaQuan, Shiann, and Nathan. Mrs. Lovelace-Square also shares six grandchildren with her husband.
