The Orange County branch of the NAACP presented ONYX Magazine Publisher Rich Black with the Community Leadership award during their Holiday Party in December. The group recognized Black because as the first diversity director for Rosen Hotels and Resorts, Black forged a relationship between the NAACP and Rosen Hotel. That partnership has lasted for more than 15 years and gets stronger every year. Dubbed the Great Connector, Black is known for his knack for bringing people together. In his leadership, Rosen Hotels & Resorts founder, the late Harris Rosen, helped to firm up the Orange County branch of the NAACP and became a member. The NAACP also noted Black for other leadership efforts: acquiring important resources for Orange County communities during the height of COVID; creating two pillars of the community, ONYX Magazine Women on the Move and Men of Honor that show Black leaders as the outstanding and formidable stalwarts they truly are; his campaign to help those affected by Hurricane Ian; his bringing together more than 400 residents and businesses for Community Night Out year-after-year; his commitment to true journalism through ONYX Magazine; leading the initiative to build a statue of Mary McLeod-Bethune on Bethune-Cookman University’s campus; and more.
